Find Your Centre With 10 Powerful Grounding Exercises for Anxiety

Want to learn some powerful grounding exercises for anxiety? You’re in the right place!

Let’s take a deep breath together because the past few years have been A LOT. It feels like we’ve been riding a nonstop rollercoaster of uncertainty, stress, and emotional whiplash since 2020 (and for some of us, even long before).

We’ve all had moments (or months!) of feeling untethered, like a leaf in the wind. Instead, we should aim to be more like the steady oak we aspire to be.

Here’s the good news: while we can’t often control the chaos around us, we can control how we respond to it. And that’s where grounding techniques come in.

These grounding exercises for anxiety can help us plant our feet firmly back on the ground—metaphorically and literally—so we can meet life’s challenges with calm, confidence and clarity.

Let’s dive into what grounding is, and how grounding techniques can help us feel more stable, physically, emotionally, mentally, and yes, even spiritually.

What is Grounding?

Grounding isn’t just a trendy wellness term. I think of it more like a life skill, and an effective one at that. Grounding helps us reconnect with our physical body and the present moment.

When we are grounded:

• Overwhelm begins to dissolve.
• Our nervous system relaxes.
• Our mind clears.

When we’re grounded, we’re not stuck replaying past regrets or worrying about future what-ifs.

Grounding is especially important in today’s world. With the constant buzz of notifications, a never-ending news cycle, and the demands of daily life, it’s all too easy to get swept up in the whirlwind. Grounding helps us step out of that chaos, even if just for a moment.

The beauty of grounding is its versatility. There are countless ways to ground ourselves. And the best part? It doesn’t require fancy equipment, a big budget, or hours of our time.

Grounding is also deeply spiritual. It connects us to something greater: that might be Mother Earth, God, our higher self, or even the expansive, often unknowable wisdom of the universe.

What are Grounding Techniques?

In the past, I’ve talked about some of my favourite natural ways to reduce stress and anxiety. And many of these ideas could also be considered grounding exercises for anxiety!

Grounding techniques help engage our senses, focus our mind, and/or use movement to distract us from distressing thoughts. They help anchor us in the present moment.

Whether we feel overwhelmed, anxious, or disconnected, grounding exercises for anxiety can help us feel cool, calm and collected. Really, they help our body, mind and spirit feel safe again.

Favourite Grounding Exercises for Anxiety

Given how important grounding is, and will be, here are 10 of my favourite grounding exercises for anxiety that can help you find your footing. You can use these no matter what kind of day (or year!) you’re having.

1. Connect with the Earth

There’s profound wisdom in the simple act of connecting with nature and Mother Earth. And this is often what people think about when it comes to grounding, or earthing, which is another term you may have heard.

Just step outside and let your feet touch the ground. Let your bare feet touch the sand, soil, or whatever is available. It works because our bodies are incredibly conductive.

If you want to learn more about the science of grounding, check out this wonderful video by Dr. Laura Koniver. I have followed her for years and she’s a true expert in all things grounding!

And if anyone gives you odd looks for walking barefoot in the park, just smile knowingly. You’re tapping into something they haven’t discovered yet!

2. Breathe with Intention

As simple as this grounding technique is, you’ll be surprised how quickly some breathwork can help focus your attention and reduce feelings of anxiety!

Try some simple breathing exercises:

• Breathe in for four counts, hold for seven, and exhale for eight. This is the 4-7-8 breath (and no, I don’t know how they come up with these names!).
• Take a deep inhale through your nose, then exhale with an exaggerated ‘ahhhh’ sound, letting your shoulders drop. Repeat until you feel the tension melt away.
• Place one hand on your belly and one on your chest. Inhale through your nose, feeling your belly fill as you keep your chest still. Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your belly fall. Repeat for 5–10 breaths, allowing each one to feel deeper and more relaxing.

Check out the Insight Timer app (my favourite app!) for thousands of free practices like breathwork and meditation.

3. Make Like a Tree

I always start my Akashic readings with a tree meditation to make sure that both my client and I are grounded before the experience. This is a great meditation and visualization grounding exercise.

Here’s how to do it:

• Close your eyes and imagine roots extending from your feet deep into the earth.
• Make them as elaborate as you like. I prefer to think of myself like a wise, ancient oak tree versus a sad, neglected houseplant.
• Feel these roots anchoring you firmly in place.

Don’t worry if your ‘tree roots’ look more like spaghetti at first. Visualizations are a practice, not a competition! This simple visualization practice can help even when everything else feels uncertain.

4. Connect With Your Senses

When your mind is running a marathon of worst-case scenarios, bring yourself back to the present with this classic mindfulness exercise.

Play with the 5-4-3-2-1 technique:

• Notice 5 things you see.
• Find 4 textures you can feel.
• Listen for 3 sounds around you.
• Identify 2 smells nearby.
• Taste 1 flavour lingering in your mouth. Even if it’s just your morning coffee on your tongue!

5. Move Your Body

Your body holds wisdom that your racing mind often ignores.

Stretch, dance, do some jumping jacks, or strike a few yoga poses. You could even stand as tall as you can, relax as much as possible, and feel your feet grip the ground.

Lucky for me, because I have two left feet, movement doesn’t have to be graceful to help ground you.

When my son was a frustrated toddler, he taught me that even stomping your feet could be grounding. I’ve seen how fast it can work and shift the energy!

Now, when clients feel ungrounded after an Akashic reading, I often recommend they go outside and stomp for a few minutes. This can help their bodies adjust to the sudden change in frequency.

6. Eat Like You Mean It

How you feed yourself might not be one of the first grounding exercises for anxiety you think of, but comfort food earned its name for a reason!

Starchy, root vegetables, hearty soups, and protein-rich nuts don’t just nourish your body, they can also help you feel more grounded. Picture these foods helping build your foundation from the inside out.

In addition to eating the right foods, eating mindfully can help you ground. Chew your food well. Choose your foods thoughtfully. My intuitive eating tips can also be helpful as grounding techniques.

But stress-eating an entire bag of chocolate-covered almonds isn’t quite what we’re going for here 😉

Resources to check out:

• Super Curried Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup
• 7 Yummy Foods to Help Reduce Anxiety and Stress
• Wild Rice Soup Featuring Butternut Squash and Turkey

Your info is safe with me. I will guard it with my life and promise no spam, ever. I genuinely hate it as much as you do!

7. Use Sound for Healing

Did you know? Sound can shift your state faster than almost anything else.

Deep drumbeats, singing bowls, or even humming to yourself can create instant calm.

Look for vibrational healing tracks with theta beats to get your brain (and your subconscious!) into a deep state ready for healing.

Resources to check out:

• Inner Healer Library vibrational healing tracks
• 5 Ways to Harness the Power of Sound to Engineer, Energize and Empower Your Day

8. Cleanse with Water

I wrote about the power of water for energy cleansing, but water can help ground us quickly when we’re feeling frazzled.

Splash your face, take a shower, or simply wash your hands mindfully to help you reset. Even mindfully drinking a glass of water can shift your energy.

9. Write Your Heart

Writing or journalling offer so many opportunities for grounding exercises for anxiety.

Write down whatever is whirling around in your head, with no filters or judgment.

If writing feels too difficult in the moment, you can write affirmations like:

• I am safe, secure, and supported in this moment.
• I release what I cannot control and focus on what I can.
• I am here, in this moment, and that is enough.
• Or any other positive affirmations that resonate with you.

Your journal won’t mind if you don’t use proper punctuation, or if your handwriting looks like a doctor wrote it. (And I translated workplace injury reports for years so I know what that looks like!)

Journalling is a practice that helps you get your thoughts, worries, and even your anxieties onto the page. Let it all out. After all, you can always burn it later.

10. Carry a Keepsake

Do you carry any special objects with you? This could be a smooth stone, a piece of jewelry, or even a toy from when you were a child. Keepsakes are usually something small but meaningful, and people may keep them in their purse, a pocket or their car.

When things get rocky, hold your keepsake and repeat: this too shall pass. And hey, it’ll probably make a great story later!

When to Use Grounding Techniques

Grounding techniques are versatile:

• you can use them when anxiety begins to creep in,
• during moments of panic, or,
• as part of your daily self-care routine to prevent stress from building up.

Grounding exercises for anxiety aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Explore different techniques and see what resonates with you. Over time, these practices can become second nature, offering you support when you need it most.

Final Thoughts

As the world seems to get more and more noisy and chaotic, most people would agree that it’s impossible to avoid stress and anxiety completely.

You can rely on these grounding exercises for anxiety to feel more cool, calm and collected. They can help you face stressful events with more presence and preparedness.

Keep these practices in your back pocket for times when life feels like too much.

Which grounding exercise will you try first?

Share in the comments or let’s chat if you’d like personalized guidance!

Life is a plate… eat up!

Ashleigh

More Valuable Resources

• 7 Free Natural Ways to Reduce Stress and Anxiety That Actually Work
• 7 Powerful Visualization Techniques to Develop Your Intuition
• Energy Cleansing 101: The Ultimate Guide to Cleanse, Ground & Protect Your Energy