Present-Moment Skill
Grounding
What Is Grounding?
Grounding techniques help shift attention away from overwhelming thoughts, memories, fears, or emotional reactions and toward your immediate surroundings.
Many grounding exercises use physical sensations, sensory information, movement, or factual descriptions of the current environment.
Grounding is not one of the formally named core DBT skills, but it closely overlaps with DBT mindfulness and distress-tolerance practices that emphasize returning attention to the present moment.
Try This Now
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding
Slowly look around and identify:
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can physically feel
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste or one thing you appreciate in this moment
There is no need to rush. The purpose is to deliberately direct attention toward information your senses are receiving right now.
Grounding Exercises
Feet on the Floor
Place both feet firmly on the floor.
Notice the pressure beneath your feet, the position of your legs, and the support of the floor underneath you.
You can gently press your feet downward for several seconds and then release.
Notice the Chair Supporting You
Notice where your body makes contact with the chair, couch, bed, or other surface beneath you.
Pay attention to pressure, temperature, texture, and the sensation of being physically supported.
Describe Your Surroundings
Look around and describe the environment using concrete, factual language.
For example:
“There is a wooden table in front of me. The wall is white. I hear a fan. The window is to my left.”
Continue until your attention becomes more connected to your surroundings.
Hold a Grounding Object
Hold a small object such as a stone, coin, key, piece of fabric, or other safe item.
Notice its weight, temperature, edges, texture, shape, and other physical details.
Orientation Statement
State simple facts about the present moment.
For example:
“My name is ____. Today is ____. I am currently in ____. Right now I am sitting in this room.”
The goal is to reconnect attention with the current time and place.
Use Temperature or Texture
Notice a safe physical sensation such as:
- Cool water on your hands
- A warm drink
- A textured object
- A cool surface
- A soft blanket or piece of fabric
Focus on describing the sensation rather than trying to make yourself feel a particular way.
Ground Through Movement
Slowly walk, stretch, change posture, or move your hands and intentionally notice the physical sensations created by the movement.
Pay attention to muscles moving, feet contacting the ground, balance, and changes in pressure.
Tips for Using Grounding
- Try more than one grounding method. Different techniques may work better in different situations.
- Describe specific details rather than simply naming objects.
- Practice grounding when you are relatively calm so the process becomes familiar.
- If a technique increases distress, stop and try a different one.