Hello Dear Readers,
I hope you’re all staying well and warm with all of the storms across the country. All of these storms are adding another layer to the new year and the challenges you’re already experiencing as caregivers.
Today, Intern Anna is filling in for me with some Grounding Exercises for you. I hope you find one that feels liek a good fit for you to add to your tool belt. ~ Becky
Grounding Tools from Intern Anna –
I think it is odd that we aren’t taught grounding exercises from a young age. Everyone will deal with hardship throughout their life and yet we don’t always seem to know how to navigate that best. Grounding exercises are a great strategy.
I can imagine that it would be super difficult to support a child who is struggling with an eating disorder. It was incredibly difficult to live with one. There are a lot of times that tensions get high or words are said that weren’t meant.
That said, I think it is important that everyone has their own grounding strategy to go to. That way when something hard happens, you know how to calm yourself down.
This won’t fix every problem, but it will help you give yourself the space to stop and think before you take your next step.
Listed below are different grounding exercises that I have learned over the past couple of years. Don’t be afraid to try each of them out. If one of them doesn’t work for you, gently note that and continue to try and find one that does.
1. 5-4-3-2-1
Find and label 5 things you see in your surroundings.
Find and label 4 things you can touch.
Find and label 3 things you can hear.
Find and label 2 things you can smell.
Find and label 1 thing you can taste.
Goal: To bring yourself back to the present moment and back to your surroundings.
2. Try counting up by 7s. See how far up you can go.
Goal: To calm your nervous system by involving math problems.
3. Recite the alphabet backwards.
Goal: To distract yourself and hold your attention.
4. Sudoku or crossword puzzles
Goal: To distract yourself and to use the thinking part of your brain instead of involving emotions.
5. Category game: Pick a category (i.e. sport, fruit) and then try to name things from that category starting at the beginning of the alphabet with A (i.e. aerobic exercise, apple).
If you need some support with grounding as a caregiver of someone with an eating disorder, reach out. I’ve trained others to do the work I do so even more families can get the help, hope and tools needed.
