Grounding Technique For Stressful Situations

Have you ever experienced such intense stress that you feel you have disconnected yourself from reality? Or have you felt so overwhelmed with worries that you can’t stay anchored to the present? In these cases, the rooting technique can prove to be a valuable aid.

When we experience a strong emotional shock, the mind tries to protect us from suffering by activating various defense mechanisms. However, this can compromise our mental well-being.

Many people experience phenomena known as depersonalization and derealization throughout their lives . These are alterations in perception that lead to disconnection from oneself or the environment when circumstances become unbearable.

In general, these experiences last only a few minutes; however, if they occur frequently or last too long, they end up causing severe discomfort. Returning to the “here and now” is extremely useful to get out of it.

What does the rooting technique consist of?

The grounding technique is a simple procedure to apply when dealing with emotionally difficult situations. In fact, in these cases, attention tends to focus on the trauma making us feel blocked.

Therefore, the primary objective of this technique is to redirect attention towards reality, the present and towards stimuli with a neutral value or that do not cause anxiety.

Basically, it is a procedure used in psychological first aid, or in the intervention on people who have experienced traumatic situations. However, it can also prove useful in everyday and less dramatic situations, but characterized by a high emotional intensity. For example, when receiving unsettling news or in the presence of high levels of anxiety.

When to apply the rooting technique?

Some signs can help us recognize if the person needs outside help to stabilize. Some of them are:

• Look absent or lost ; the person does not respond to questions or solicitations.

• Abnormal or disorganized behavior.

• Intense and uncontrolled emotional reactions. The person cries incessantly, is aggressive, or has difficulty breathing.

• On a subjective level, he experiences a detachment from reality or from his own internal processes. The feeling is that of watching a movie or seeing the world through fogged glass.

How does it apply?

Before applying the grounding technique, one must make sure that the person regulates its activation. In this sense, you can ask to breathe slowly and deeply, so as to stabilize the mood and physiological sensations.

Then ask a few simple questions to check the level of awareness and start bringing the subject back to the present. Asking if he remembers his name, where he is or what happened is a good place to start.

Finally, to apply grounding, one must use the senses to bring the person back to reality and thus avoid increasing anxiety. For example, you may be asked to perform some of the following activities:

• Objectively describe the environment in which it is located.
• List five objects she sees that do not cause her anxiety.
• List the neutral sounds it can perceive.
• Focus on the different tactile sensations she experiences that do not cause her distress.

Use the grounding technique to deal with stressful situations

You can use this technique when the stress is intense, but not paralyzing. It will be enough for you to use your senses to recover the connection with reality.

Or, you can use other methods such as squeezing an ice cube, walking barefoot on the grass, or tapping on the first object you have at hand.

These activities allow you to tune into your body and the present moment, reduce activation and allow you to gradually regain control of the situation.

If there is no improvement, it is a good idea to ask a professional for help to evaluate the situation thoroughly.