Posted in The Wellness Den | May 11, 2025
Let’s be honest—when anxiety hits, it doesn’t care if you’re at work, in the car, or making dinner with little ones at your feet.
It doesn’t wait for the “right” time. It just shows up.
Sometimes it feels like racing thoughts.
Sometimes like tightness in your chest.
And sometimes, like you want to crawl out of your own skin.
I’ve lived it. And I want to share a few grounding techniques that have truly helped me reclaim my calm—not just in theory, but in real life.
These aren’t fluff. These are tools I come back to again and again, especially during my busiest or most emotionally heavy days.
✋ 1.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding (Sensory Reset)
This one’s simple and incredibly effective. When anxiety hits, you turn your focus outward using your senses:
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5 things you can see
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4 things you can feel
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3 things you can hear
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2 things you can smell
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1 thing you can taste
This technique pulls you out of your racing mind and into the present moment—especially helpful when you feel dissociated or panicky.
Try it in the car, on a walk, or even in the middle of a stressful meeting.
🧊 2.
Cold Therapy: Ice, Water, or Wind
This sounds odd, but trust me—it works.
Splash your face with cold water, hold an ice cube, or step into a breeze. Cold temperature stimulates the vagus nerve, which helps regulate your nervous system and snap you out of fight-or-flight mode.
It’s especially helpful when you feel like you’re spiraling or can’t catch your breath.
Bonus: Keep a jade roller or cooling eye mask in the fridge for moments when you need relief fast.
🌬 3.
Box Breathing (a.k.a. Tactical Breathing)
Used by Navy SEALs for high-stress situations, this breathing pattern helps calm the body and refocus the mind.
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Inhale for 4 seconds
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Hold for 4 seconds
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Exhale for 4 seconds
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Hold for 4 seconds
Repeat for 3–5 minutes.
It gives your mind something to do while slowing your heart rate.
I use this at bedtime or whenever my thoughts won’t settle.
🌱 4.
Ground Through Touch + Texture
Running your fingers through soft fabric, gripping a smooth stone, or wrapping up in a weighted blanket activates the body’s sensory systems and brings comfort.
Keep a small calming object in your bag or pocket—like a worry stone, essential oil roller, or piece of soft cloth.
I love using a calming oil blend from Green Compass while doing this for double the effect.
🪵 5.
Narrate Your Now (Out Loud or in Writing)
This technique is like giving your brain a flashlight in the dark.
You literally describe what’s happening in the moment:
“I’m sitting at my kitchen table. My feet are on the floor. I’m wearing a soft sweater. The coffee smells warm. I’m safe.”
This may seem simple—but naming your reality helps interrupt anxious thoughts and reminds your body that you’re not in danger.
It brings me back every time.
💛 Anxiety Isn’t Who You Are
If you take nothing else from this post, let it be this: you are not broken. You are not “too much.” You are simply a human with a nervous system that’s asking for support.
These grounding tools aren’t cures—but they are lifelines. And in the moment, that’s what matters most.
You are allowed to slow down.
You are allowed to take up space.
You are allowed to feel safe in your own body again.
If this post resonated, I’d love to hear from you. Share it with a friend who needs it or come chat with me over on Instagram at @waiting.4.sunshine 🌿
Until next time,
Heather
Waiting 4 Sunshine
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