Grounding

This is a post I wrote months ago but never published, for one reason or another. Though it is a bit hectic, and of course not a perfect representation of what I was experiencing, I believe it offers powerful insight into one possible manifestation of anxiety:

In terms of anxiety, and likely many other mental health problems, there are an infinite amount of skills and strategies to cope with and defuse moments of crisis. Grounding is among the more well known of them, and for good reason. The idea is this: connect to each of your five senses (or six, if Bruce Willis is out there reading my blog) to something around you, whether it be the smell of cookies in the oven or seeing a car going down the street. Doing so will provide concrete, tangible points to focus on while your mind is otherwise unable to grasp physical reality.

In honor of the panic attack currently rising in my stomach, here’s an attempt at grounding:

5 things I can see: Tom Selleck on the TV, my baby dog on my lap, an old Disney princess blanket, the fireplace next to me, my sister doing her English homework.

I feel the anxiety bubbling in my chest.

4 things I can hear: the blaring commercial teaching me about non-GMO chicken nuggets, Quita breathing rhythmically, my mom talking about the laundry, Megan washing her dishes.

I notice the feeling returning to my arms and legs.

3 things I can smell: puppy breath, the enticing aroma of my Hot Pocket, my grandparents’ detergent.

My heart reaches a normal rhythm.

2 things I can touch: the Patriots blanket on my legs, the homework I’m currently avoiding.

Finally, I feel myself coming to my senses.

1 thing I can taste: a crisp, cool apple.

My fingers stop shaking.

Olivia