
With Hurricane Milton fast approaching there’s an atmosphere of fear, panic, anxiety, overwhelm, and decision fatigue. Devastation just happened two weeks ago as many lost everything to Hurricane Helene. Anxiety is up all around us but, too much can lead to panic, anger, rage, overwhelm and shut down. If you’ve seen Inside Out 2, you’ll understand why counselors love this movie. Inside Out does a great job of showing the character of Anxiety as important for keeping us informed, safe, and prepared, but not meant to be the only emotion in control of pushing the buttons on the inner consoles of our decisions.
As we navigate through a heightened state of awareness and fear, it’s crucial to focus on meeting both your physical and emotional needs in order to make clear, wise, and potentially last-minute decisions. We need our Pre-Frontal Cortex online and working in order to calm down the amygdala and properly plan, prepare and act in a state of crisis.
Below are 5 of my favorite grounding techniques to navigate and reduce anxiety, worry and fear in order to increase your ability to think and act logically and respond wisely.
1. Hand Carving Mindfulness

Imagine your hand as a carving tool. Slowly trace the outline of one hand with a finger from your other hand, starting at the base of your thumb. As you do this, breathe deeply and focus on the sensation of your finger moving up and down along each finger. This tactile mindfulness helps ground you, engaging your sense of touch while promoting relaxation.
Instructions:
Start at the base of your thumb and inhale as you trace upward.
Exhale as you trace down the other side of your thumb.
Repeat for each finger until you finish the outline of your hand.
You can watch a guided video here to practice it now.
2. 5 Senses Grounding Technique

Use this exercise to reconnect with the present moment by engaging all five of your senses. This technique shifts your attention away from anxious thoughts and focuses it on your surroundings.
Instructions:
See: Identify 5 things you can see around you.
Touch: Identify 4 things you can physically feel.
Hear: Identify 3 things you can hear in the environment.
Smell: Identify 2 things you can smell.
Taste: Identify 1 thing you can taste. A mint, water or gum can be helpful.
As you move through each sense, take deep, slow breaths from your belly to stay connected to the present. Focus on longer exhales that inhales to calm the nervous system.
To learn more, read my recent blog on the 5 senses.
3. Counting Breath Technique

Counting can help slow down your thoughts and your heart rate during moments of fear or anxiety. This simple exercise uses counting to guide your breathing and promote calmness.
Instructions:
Inhale deeply with your stomach while counting to 4 (or any number) in your head.
Hold your breath for 4 counts.
Slowly exhale for a count of 6.
Repeat this cycle 5-10 times, counting slowly and consistently to regulate your breathing pattern. Hold your breath for as long as feels comfortable.
Focusing on a longer exhale turns on the parasympathetic nervous system, bringing more calm and safety to the body. Imagine slowly deflating a balloon, releasing tension from your body with every breath. Counting out loud can help keep your pre-frontal cortex activated, also helping with calm.
4. Box Breathing

Box breathing is a structured breathing technique that helps calm the nervous system and is especially useful during heightened states of anxiety.
Instructions:
Inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
Hold your breath for 4 counts.
Exhale through your mouth for 4 counts.
Hold your breath again for 4 counts.
Visualize creating a rectangular box with each step as you breathe in, hold, exhale, and pause. Repeat this cycle for several minutes until you feel more grounded.
5. Butterfly Hug

My personal favorite, the butterfly hug is a self-soothing technique often used in EMDR therapy to calm intense emotions. It incorporates gentle tapping and rhythmic breathing to reduce anxiety.
Instructions:
Cross your arms over your chest, placing your hands below your collar bone (a pressure point for calming) and cross your thumbs together.
Begin to alternate tapping each shoulder in a very slow, steady rhythm.
As you tap, take slow, deep breaths. Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 2, and exhale for 6.
Continue this motion for a few minutes, focusing on the calming rhythm of the taps and your breath. You can look down at your hands and imagine butterfly wings.
Here's a video to guide you through the Butterfly Hug.
Conclusion:
These techniques offer a variety of sensory inputs and focus points, making them useful for calming both the body and mind during moments of anxiety or fear. For a list of more tips and calming suggestions click here.
Scheduling with Tiffany Lowther, licensed mental health counselor, certified in EMDR and Perinatal Mental Health can be a great way to feel safer and more supported in your body and in the world around you. Reach out today to schedule a counseling session and to learn more about healthy coping skills, grounding techniques, anxiety feeling healthier overall.
Lowther Counseling Services, www.LowtherCS.com, 2024
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