Do you ever feel really anxious or full of panic? And have you noticed that the harder you try to tell yourself to stop getting so worked up and just calm down, the more upset, anxious or panicked you get?
Well, there’s a good reason for that (and no, it’s not because you’re messed up or broken). It’s because when you are feeling really anxious your brain is in fight or flight mode. You are literally getting ready to handle a potentially threatening situation and your brain and body are going into a visceral survivor mode.
Logic, reason and rational thinking go out the window and survival mode comes in. So before we can access our rational minds and talk ourselves through what is causing the anxiety or get through the panic attack, first we need to bring our brains and bodies into more of a state of calm.
And one of the easiest and most effective ways to do that is through a grounding exercise. This grounding exercise is very simple, and it’s one of my favourites because of how effective it is. It can be done any place and any time. All it takes is for you to be intentional about doing it.