Grounding Techniques with Calming Captures
Sometimes life is overwhelming. Grounding activities are designed to help ground yourself in the present moment and bring you to a place of calm.
Rainbow Grounding Method
Find a calming space with your photo. Begin to start looking to spot and name as many objects that match the colors of the rainbow as you can. If you can’t find an object of a specific color, think about something you like or are interested in that might be that color.
RED: What do I notice that is red?
ORANGE: What do I notice that is orange?
YELLOW: What do I notice that is yellow?
GREEN: What do I notice that is green?
BLUE: What do I notice that is blue?
PURPLE: What do I notice that is purple?
Visualize being at the place you see
Using each of your senses, imagine the noises you hear, the objects you see, and the scents you smell. Think about what you’d do there and how it makes you feel.
Breathe deeply
Slowly inhale, then exhale. If it helps, you can say or think “in” and “out” with each breath. Feel each breath filling your lungs and note how it feels to push it back out.
Play a memory game
Look at a detailed photograph or picture for 5–10 seconds. Then, turn the photograph face-down and recreate the photograph in your mind in as much detail as possible. Or, you can mentally list all the things you remember from the picture.
Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method
Working backward from 5, use your senses to list things you notice around you. For example, you might start by listing:
Make an effort to notice the little things you might not always pay attention to, such as the color of the ground or the hum of the air conditioner.
Peace & Love,
Erica