Your mind is racing, you feel detached or scattered, and you want to feel solid again. Grounding is about coming back to the present, and the body is a good place to start.
In short: somatic grounding means using your body, through your feet, your weight, your hands and your senses, to feel steadier and more present. It combines grounding techniques with gentle somatic movement.
What grounding means
Cleveland Clinic describes grounding techniques as ways to bring your attention back to the present moment, and notes they can be mental, physical or soothing. Mental grounding uses thinking, such as naming things around you. Physical grounding uses the senses and body, such as feeling your feet or holding something cold. Soothing grounding uses kind, comforting words or touch.
"Somatic grounding" is our term for the physical and soothing side, combined with slow somatic movement. There is no research on somatic grounding as a method in itself, and the broader evidence for grounding techniques is limited, so treat these as gentle practices that many people find steadying, not as a treatment. Our grounding exercises guide covers more techniques, and our overview of somatic exercises explains the movement side.
If you have experienced trauma, grounding can feel uncomfortable at first. Keep your eyes open, go slowly and skip anything that feels wrong. If feelings become overwhelming, look around the room and feel your feet on the floor.
1. Feel your feet
- Sit or stand with your feet flat on the floor.
- Press your feet down gently for a few seconds, then release.
- Wiggle your toes and notice the floor beneath you.
- Notice the whole of your feet: heels, arches, toes.
2. Weight shifting
- Stand with soft knees.
- Slowly shift your weight onto your right foot, then your left.
- Rock gently forwards towards your toes and backwards towards your heels.
- Find the spot where you feel most balanced and rest there for a few breaths.
3. Hands and touch
- Rub your palms together until they feel warm.
- Place them on your chest, belly or thighs and notice the warmth.
- Or hold an object, such as a smooth stone or a cup of tea, and notice its weight, temperature and texture.
4. The 5-4-3-2-1 senses check
- Look around and name five things you can see.
- Notice four things you can feel or touch.
- Notice three things you can hear.
- Notice two things you can smell, and one you can taste.
Take it slowly. Our page on the 5-4-3-2-1 technique has more detail.
5. Slow breath
- Breathe in gently, then breathe out for longer than you breathed in.
- Notice the breath in your belly or ribs.
- Repeat for a minute or two. See grounding breathing for more.
6. Orient to the room
- Slowly turn your head and look around the room, letting your eyes land on whatever draws them.
- Notice colours, shapes and the light.
- Remind yourself where you are and what day it is.
What you might notice: steadier breathing, a heavier or more present body, or a bit more space in your thinking. Results vary, and some people notice little at first. How to stop: each practice takes a minute or two and you can stop at any time. Finish with a slow breath.
Which one to try when
- In public or at work: feel your feet, or press your hands together under the desk.
- When anxious or racing: the 5-4-3-2-1 senses check and slow breath.
- When numb or spaced out: something with stronger sensation, such as splashing cool water on your face or holding something cold.
- When tired and wired: weight shifting and self-holding.
Practise when you are calm too, so the exercises feel familiar when you need them. Many of these are the same ideas used in grounding and body awareness.
If you often feel detached, numb or overwhelmed, please speak to a doctor or mental-health professional. Grounding can help in the moment but does not replace care. If you are feeling overwhelmed right now, try our overwhelm exercises, and when you are ready to go a little deeper, see body awareness exercises.
