Ground yourself

Grounding is a good technique to fend of anxiety or intrusive thoughts and memories when they feel overwhelming.

Grounding involves trying to move your mind away from uncomfortable sensations or thoughts and focus your attention on the present, the environment you are currently in, and the feel of being in the place you currently are.

Try it out

The 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method is one way to ground yourself as you try to fall asleep.

As you lie in bed, try to focus on the details of your surroundings using each of your senses.

Strive to notice small details that your mind would usually tune out, such as distant sounds, or the texture of an ordinary object. Notice…

5 things you can see

Look for small details such as a pattern on the ceiling, the way light reflects off a surface, or an object you never noticed.

4 things you can feel

Notice the sensation of clothing on your body, the feeling of the bed you are sitting in.

Pick up an object and examine its weight, texture, and other physical qualities.

3 things you can hear

Pay special attention to the sounds your mind has tuned out, such as a ticking clock, distant traffic, boiler noises, murmurs of a television or trees blowing in the wind.

2 things you can smell

Try to notice smells in the air around you, like an air freshener, the laundry detergent used on your bedding, an object you have sprayed your favourite perfume on.

You might also keep something by your bed that hat has a scent you enjoy, such as an unlit candle or a piece of clothing with your favourite perfume sprayed on it.

1 thing you can taste

In bed, this is most likely the toothpaste you have recently used!

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Page last reviewed: 7 February, 2024