Did you notice what happened when you read that question?  Did you find your attention drawn to your body, maybe to find your feet wrapped around a chair leg or tucked underneath you on the sofa?  I would guess asking that one simple question made you feel more present.

We lose touch with our present moment awareness for all sorts of reasons.  It’s easy to get so caught up in our thoughts that we forget what we’re doing, or so engrossed in an activity that we tune out what’s happening around us.  Sometimes that’s okay, it can even be helpful, but other times it can be useful to quickly bring our attention back to the moment; maybe the thoughts you’re getting caught up in are unhelpful, creating anxiety, or perhaps what’s going on around you while you’re so engrossed in your activity is equally worthy of your attention.

There are many grounding techniques using both internal and external anchors that you can use to quickly shift your attention to the present moment.  I was introduced to them as part of the self-management of my dissociative (non-epileptic) seizures.  When I have a seizure, my sense of reality and awareness changes; there’s a split between my subconscious and conscious, between my mind and my body.  I can’t necessarily stop a seizure, but using grounding techniques does give me an element of control.  They can allow me to get to a safe place, to alert someone for help and sometimes to even reduce the severity of an attack.

After a particularly intense and lengthy seizure recently left me hospitalised, I’ve been revisiting the grounding techniques I use.  I’ve found myself incorporating them into my meditation sessions and I realised it’s just another way to practice mindfulness.  Along with breathing and body scan techniques, I have a number of objects that encourage sensory grounding using sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.  Pine cones, mints, lavender spray, a special photo and textured fabric are some of the objects that have become part of my meditation.

Obviously my case is extreme, but I’ve been considering how helpful grounding techniques could be for other people.  Mindfulness exercises often encourage you to focus on your breath; repeatedly returning your attention to it when you notice your mind elsewhere.  Sensory grounding objects can be used in just the same way, but perhaps provide a more tangible anchor when you’re holding something in your hand.  Practice in this way can help bring about feelings of calm and increased well-being. There’s more information on the ‘Grounding Techniques’ page in My Toolbox here.

The next time you’re feeling anxious, finding it hard to concentrate or just want to feel a little more present, try asking yourself “where are my feet?”  It’s a simple tool to ground you in your body and your immediate experience.