Calm Amidst Chaos: Exercises to Ground Yourself and Reduce Stress

If you are preparing for a mediation, a difficult conversation, or performance, you are likely to feel stress and anxiety. Practicing a few simple grounding exercises can help you reduce tension, increase calm, and allow you to approach the event with intention and focus. Here is a list of different exercises to try before and/or during a stressful event. Pick exercises from a couple different categories and see what works best for you!

A Water Lilly in the Canadian Wilderness

Breathing Exercises

• Equal Breathing: Count as you inhale and exhale by the same count.

• Belly Breathing: This can be done lying on your back, sitting, or standing. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Relax your belly completely and try to inhale to expand only your belly. The hand on your belly should move and rise a lot more than the hand on your chest, which should remain relatively still.

• Longer Exhales: Each breath, count the time it takes to inhale and lengthen the time it takes to exhale. Try to exhale through the nose.

• Box Breathing: This exercise is similar to equal breathing, except at the top of the inhale and the bottom of the exhale you hold your breath for the same count as you inhale and exhale. For example, inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4 and repeat.

• Lion’s Breath: Take a deep breath in through your nose, filling up your belly and chest. Stick your tongue out and forcefully exhale through the mouth, making a “Ha” sound.

• Humming: Close your mouth and take a deep breath. Exhale and hum with your mouth closed, or exhale “Ohm” ending in a deep hum (Ah - Oh - mm).

Sensory Exploration

• Room Observation: As you sit, look around and observe your space. Make sure to look behind you, on all sides, above and below. Feel your weight in the seat and your feet on the floor. Listen to and notice environmental sounds around you. Inhale and see what you smell.

• Stimulating Your Senses:

  • Pick up an object nearby and notice its color, shape, texture, weight, etc.

  • Hold a piece of ice or a warm cup of tea, noticing how it feels.

  • Bite into a fruit and notice its taste, feel, smell.

  • Smell a strong scent such as lavender.

  • Listen to a song you like that makes you feel good.

  • Pet your dog, cat, or other animal.

Physical Exercises

• Tapping: There are many different tapping exercises. Here are some examples:

  • Touch each finger on each hand with your thumb and repeat in order.

  • Cross your arms across your chest comfortably and alternate patting each hand on your other arm.

  • Sitting, with your feet on the floor, firmly pat your thighs at the same time or alternating sides.

  • Standing, turn side to side, relaxing your arms and letting them flap and tap the front and back of your body as you turn.

• Walking: Similar to tapping, walking stimulates both sides of the body in a rhythmic way. Taking a walk outside, even for 5-10 minutes can ease your mind, especially if you can get out in nature.

• Taking up space: This can be done standing or sitting. Spread your legs and reach your arms or pose like a superhero. Sit tall and look up. Imagine taking up the entire space you are in.

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation: In any position, focus on one body part at a time, starting from your head or toes. Flex and squeeze that part of your body and hold for a period before releasing and moving to the next body part in order.

Visualizations

• Place: Picture a place where you feel calm and grounded. Imagine yourself there using all of your senses.

• Person: Visualize a person or pet who supports you and makes you feel happy. Think about how you feel when you are with them. What would they say to you to provide encouragement today?

A place where I felt calm: Fox Island, North Channel, Canada

Fun and Flow

• Flow State: Doing activities that get you in a “flow” state where you are focused and interested in something challenging can help manage stress. Make sure the activity is not so easy that you check out or become bored or so difficult that you become angry or frustrated. Here are some fun examples:

  • Playing Tetris has been studied specifically and shown to ease anxiety. Other video games may do the same thing.

  • Reading a book you are absorbed in.

  • Playing word games like crossword puzzles, Wordle, Words with Friends, or Letter Boxed.

  • Doing brain teasers.

  • Putting together puzzles.

  • Physical challenges that require focus like patting your head and rubbing your belly or balancing exercises.

External Resources and Exercises

• https://www.healthline.com/health/breathing-exercise#humming-bee-breath

• https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-relief-breathing-techniques

• https://www.healthline.com/health/grounding-techniques#physical-techniques

• https://www.choosingtherapy.com/grounding-techniques/

• https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/stress/9-visualization-techniques-for-stress-reduction/

• https://www.wired.com/story/tetris-helps-stress-anxiety/

• https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/11/05/662212524/cant-stop-worrying-try-tetris-to-ease-your-mind