Let’s learn about the Grounding Techniques that work with your brain psychologically.
In this post, I’m continuing our discussion on Grounding Techniques. If you missed the introduction to this technique, you can find it here. Today, we’re talking about the techniques that work with your brain psychologically.
This is the eighth in a series of posts called “Help for Your Stress”. In them, we’ll cover some of the best mental health resources (techniques) that can turn your stress off. While I know that ultimately you’re looking for healing, getting help today to at least find relief is worth it.
So let’s talk about the Grounding Techniques that work with your brain psychologically.
One of the ways Grounding Techniques work is by working with your brain psychologically. Think of this like working from the inside out.
To work with your brain psychologically, you need to work with the parts of your brain responsible for your stress. This means your survival brain (ie. your Brain Stem and Limbic System).
When you’re stressed, it’s these parts of your brain that have decided that something in your life is dangerous. They force your body out of the state of peace (Rest & Digest), into the state of stress (survival mode). And they keep you there until they understand that you’re safe again.
What this means, is that your brain won’t turn off your stress, until it realizes that you’re safe.
This first method of Grounding Techniques is going to help convince your brain that you’re safe right now. It does this using psychological techniques to prove to your brain that you’re not in danger.
There are a variety of Psychological Grounding Techniques that work with your brain in these ways.
Reminders are a set of phrases that you’ll say to remind your brain of where you are right now. This includes your location, what day/month/year it is, how old you are, etc.
These phrases force your brain to admit the truth that where you’re at in life right now, is not dangerous. Once your brain realizes where you are, it will realize that you’re safe, and turn off your stress response.
Gratitude works by forcing your brain to think about something really, really good, that you’re grateful for. You saturate all 5 of your senses in this thing as if you’re reliving it in real time.
This forces your brain to let go of thinking about whatever it thinks is “dangerous”. Instead, it focuses deeply on something positive and good, ie. something safe. Once your brain’s thinking about something good, it will stop believing you’re in danger. Which will help it turn off your stress response.
Orienting is the act of slowly looking around your room, and forcing your brain to realize what you see. You notice the different objects, then voice out loud what they are. This includes stories about these objects that are neutral or positive.
This action forces your brain to pay attention to neutral or positive things, and the stories that came with them. As you do this, your brain will stop focusing on the “dangerous” thing, and shift it’s focus onto positive things. As it does this, it will realize you’re safe, which will help it turn off your stress response.
Sneaking Away (also called Container) is a visualization exercise. It guides you in separating yourself from all the stressful things from your life. You’ll watch yourself remove these things from your body, put them inside the container, and close and seal the lid.
This visualization forces your brain to compartmentalize these stressful things from your life. Your brain will begin to see them as separate from you, removed by the container. In seeing this, it will begin to let go of believing that these things can harm you. This allows your brain to realize that you’re safe, helping it turn off your stress response.
It’s also called Sneaking Away, as it gently lets your brains sneak away from the stressful things it’s focusing on.
When combined with Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT, Tapping), you have the added bonus of your nervous system being calmed. This sends signals of safety to your brain. Which gives your brain an extra boost in realizing that you’re safe. Which will help it turn off your stress response.
EFT is a physical Grounding Technique which can be found here.
Grounding in Safety is the combination of phrases about your safety with the technique known as orienting. It guides you in reminding your brain that “Right here, right now, you’re physically safe”. All while gently looking around your room and noticing your body in the room.
This combination tells your brain that you’re safe, while forcing it to see it with your own eyes. This helps your brain realize that you’re safe, which helps it turn off your stress response.
When combined with Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT, Tapping), you have the added bonus of your nervous system being calmed. This sends signals of safety to your brain. Which gives your brain an extra boost in realizing that you’re safe. Which will help it turn off your stress response.
EFT is a physical Grounding Technique which can be found here.
This is only one half of the Grounding Techniques. The other half work with your body (from the outside in). You can find out what they are and how they work here.
If you’re wanting to try Grounding Techniques for yourself, you can find them here.
I guide them in the Stress Release for Christian Women Membership. A library of videos and audios where I guide techniques (including Grounding Techniques) on video for you. This gives you access to stress reduction techniques at home, available on-demand, to use whenever and wherever you need them.
Because you deserve to live and thrive in the state of peace in your mind and body.
I’m praying for you ♥︎
– L aura
