Grounding Stones: A Coping Skill For Stress, Anxiety & Life
If you seek some grounding strategies for anxiety, our anxiety therapists know how to help you discover coping methods that work for you. Grounding strategies help you relate to the moment in a nonjudgmental, practical way, helping you feel more connected. We recommend clients employ grounding techniques to empty their minds of anxiety and stress. It's great to rehearse even when you are calm, so when the moment does arrive when you feel anxious, you can readily focus on your grounding stone or additional grounding exercise.
When to employ a grounding stones
Truly you can utilize grounding stones anytime. Our anxiety and marriage therapist, Dr. Phillips, suggests regular practice when you are relaxed or content. Nevertheless, some of the moments when grounding stones can be particularly helpful include:
- When you transition between two circumstances (like marriage and divorce) and want to let go of the earlier activity and refocus on the positive.
- When you feel judgmental of yourself and use a lot of harmful self-talk.
- When you realize you are disassociating or don't feel connected to reality.
- When you start to feel nervous or detect the beginning of a panic or anxiety attack.
How to operate a grounding stone
First, take a couple of deep breaths to concentrate your attention. Notice fresh air filling your lungs and then warm air releasing into the atmosphere around you. Try to carry the incoming air deeply to fill your lungs to the point where your abdomen starts to rise. Then, slow your breath, allowing your exhale to take a bit longer than your inhale.
Hold the stone you've selected in your hands. Glimpse the texture of your preferred rock. Feel the temperature where your body touches its surface. Feel the weight of the stone in your hands. Observe it closely, noting any clarifying features that set this stone apart from all others.
What type of rock should I utilize for grounding?
Honestly, any stone will work. The specific stone you decide to employ is entirely up to you! Some individuals find this works better when choosing a rock with a special meaning. Here are a few alternatives:
Carry a rock with a word that has a special significance to you. You can either buy such a stone or create your own. Take a minute to meditate and focus on the word. View this as a delicate reminder and consider what the word signifies to you. Common words on grounding stones include healing, joy, serenity, peace, or dream.
In addition, a jewel or crystal that holds a precise meaning or aids in something unique can also be utilized. As you hold the gemstone or crystal, pay attention to it in your hand and recognize that stone's purported advantages.
You can also hold a stone you picked up on a memorable trip or from a meaningful place. Shut your eyes as you hold the rock and let yourself remember the space where you saw it. Recall the sights, sounds, aromas, feelings, and tastes you may have encountered when you found the stone.
You can also find a stone outside where you are right now. Think about how it got there. This simple rock you located on the ground right here, right now. Why were you attracted to this particular stone? Is there something special about it? Evaluate the relationship of this small stone to the larger space around it and even to the earth. What function does this small stone play? Hold this tiny rock and let yourself feel connected for a moment to the earth.
Try using grounding stones to cope with anxiety. And if you need therapy, our anxiety and marriage therapist, Dr. Phillips would love to help. Contact us today for more details.
