Welcome to this mindful grounding technique.
This practice is designed to help you if you're experiencing dissociation,
Feeling numb,
Spacey or disconnected in any way.
It can also help if you're feeling anxious or panicky and need a healthy distraction to focus on,
Rather than the thoughts that are causing you difficulty right now.
You can use any of your five senses to help ground you in the present moment,
But this technique involves the sense of sight.
Start by rolling your shoulders back,
Opening your chest and adopting an upright but relaxed posture.
Make sure your feet are flat on the floor,
Which can help you feel grounded and connected to the earth.
Now close your eyes or lower your gaze and take some deep breaths,
In through your nose and out through your mouth.
Try counting four seconds on the in-breath and four seconds on the out-breath.
Let your abdomen rise and fall with each breath,
Expanding slightly on the in-breath,
Then deflating and falling away on the out-breath.
Then open your eyes and look around the room.
Pick three objects,
For example a painting,
A plant and a book,
But any three objects will do.
Focus all your attention on each one in turn,
Describing them in as much detail as you can.
So if you pick a painting,
Take in and describe,
Either out loud or in your mind,
The size and shape,
Whether it has a frame,
And if so what that's made of.
Then look at the painting itself in great detail,
Describing the shapes,
Colours and images you see.
Remember that the more details the better,
So don't use general descriptions but really go into as much fine-grained detail as possible.
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Now switch your attention to the second object,
Remembering to use as much detail as possible in your description.
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Now let go of that object and switch your attention to the third,
See if you can describe every nuance in terms of shape,
Colour,
Size and so on that you see.
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After you've described all three objects,
Notice whether you feel more mindful and present in your body,
Mind and moment-to-moment experience.
I'm confident that you'll be at least a bit more present,
But if you still feel a bit spacey or weird,
Just pick another three objects and repeat the exercise.
And then again check on your physical and mental state.
This exercise should help you feel calmer,
More grounded and more present in your body.
When you're finished,
Remember that you can use this grounding technique any time you need it.
You could also experiment with using your other senses,
For example mindfully eating three different pieces of food,
Or listening to three songs,
Focusing all of your attention on each note,
Beat and nuance of the music.
But for now,
Let go of the exercise,
Reorient yourself to the whole room,
Wiggle your fingers and toes a bit,
Take a few deep breaths and then re-engage with the next activity you have planned,
Taking this calmer and more mindful presence into the rest of your day.
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