Create Your Own Grounding Toolkit: A Guide to Staying Present and Calm
Step 1: Understand Grounding
There are times when we may feel swept away by overwhelming thoughts and feelings. During these times, we can use grounding exercises to help us stay present and in the moment. The key to grounding is to try to disengage from the overwhelm that our minds and bodies might be feeling and orient ourselves in the present moment.
Grounding is all about bringing your focus back to the here and now, rather than getting lost in stressful thoughts or emotions. We can use many different tools to achieve this. I use a bottom-up approach to grounding. Bottom-up regulation means orienting to the present time and place, calming your body (through the senses, breath, and/or movement) and then your thoughts - so your brain and emotions can follow.
Step 2: Choose Your Toolkit Categories (this would look cool as a flow chart or something, we start with sensory tools → Physical movements →Cognitive tools)
Sensory Tools
Touch: stress ball, textured fabric, ice cube, fidget spinner
Sound: calming playlist, nature sounds, binaural beats
Smell: essential oils, scented candle, freshly brewed tea
Taste: chewing gum, mints, a small piece of chocolate
Sight: looking at a photo, doodling, coloring
Physical/Movement Tools
Deep breathing exercises
Stretching or yoga poses
Walking barefoot or doing gentle exercise
Progressive muscle relaxation
Cognitive Tools
5-4-3-2-1 Exercise: identify five (5) things you see, four (4) you feel, three (3) you hear, two (2) you smell, one (1) you taste
Affirmations: short statements like “I am safe right now”
Mental games: counting backward from 100 by 7s, naming all the colors you see around you
Multiplication facts
Step 3: Build Your Personal Toolkit
Pick 3–5 items from each category that you can keep accessible (at home, in a bag, or at work). Or create your own personal toolkit, built personally for you by our practice.
Make a small kit: stress ball, gum, affirmation cards, scented hand lotion, notebook for doodling, and headphones. Check out our tailored kits for purchase on our website!
Consider a digital kit: calming playlists, meditation apps, or guided grounding exercises saved on your phone.
Step 4: Practice Regularly
Grounding works best when you practice before a crisis. Our brains are incredible! The best news is - they are ever changing, growing, and evolving. Neuroplasticity is defined as the brain’s ability to modify, adapt, and form new connections in response to learning, experience, or recovery after injury. The brain learns best through repetition. So the more you can practice using your grounding tools during times of calm and safety (when the brain is ready to learn and receive new information), the easier it will be to use them during times of stress and overwhelm.
Practice makes progress! Schedule short sessions each day to explore your tools—notice which ones help you feel centered and calm, and adjust your toolkit over time. Keep track of your tools, what was helpful, and what needs more tweaking. Bring your notes to your session with your therapist to discuss success and ways to improve your personal grounding toolkit. Remember to keep it simple. Your toolkit should be easy to access and use, personalized to what works for you, and allow it to change over time. Use different tools depending on the situation. Once you have a few good tools under your belt, start mixing it up.
Take time to reflect on your tools. After using one, jot down how it affected you—this helps strengthen your inner compass for knowing what truly supports you in stressful moments. Remember, these tools are meant to help you regulate when you’re outside your window of tolerance, not to avoid your feelings, but to manage them more healthily.
Closing Thoughts
Your grounding toolkit is a personal set of strategies to help you stay present and calm when life feels overwhelming. Experiment, explore, and make it yours. Over time, these tools can become your secret weapon for stress, anxiety, and overwhelm.