Grounding Techniques for Dissociation: 10 Ways to Feel Present Again
Dissociation can present with feelings of detachment from the body, mind, surroundings, emotional experience, and sense of self. It may be a mild feeling of spacing out, or pervasive experiences of depersonalization and derealization. Grounding techniques can help those struggling with dissociation by bringing them back into the present moment.
It’s important to note that grounding techniques for dissociation are not treating the underlying cause and reason. This is a form of symptom management that can prove useful in getting through an episode.
What is Dissociation?
Simply put, dissociation is feeling removed from your personal experience. People often feel disconnected from their bodies, thoughts, emotions, and senses. Things may feel unreal, numb, or even confusing. Many individuals lose track of time and struggle to form memories during dissociative episodes.
What are Grounding Techniques?
Grounding techniques are practices to deliberately direct the attention toward the present moment. In the case of dissociation, grounding techniques aim to reconnect the individual with the present-time experience. Again, this is symptom management, not treatment of the underlying dissociation.
Grounding Techniques for Dissociation
There are countless grounding techniques out there. The ten grounding techniques below are practices I have used with people and found success. Feel free to investigate for yourself what is useful and what is not!
Orient Yourself to the Present
This is a basic grounding exercise that is a great way to start. It’s also especially relevant to dissociation. The idea is simple. Orienting yourself to the present can help you reconnect with where you are, who you are, and what you’re experiencing. You might ask simple questions like:
What’s my name?
Where am I?
What day and year is it?
How old am I?
What am I doing right now?
5-4-3-2-1
This is one of my favorite grounding exercises, and also serves as a great way to redirect thoughts from anxiety. It’s a common exercise that therapists have used for decades because it works well. This technique is fairly straightfoward as well:
Name 5 things you can see around you.
Name 4 things you can physically feel.
Name 3 things you can hear.
Name 2 things you can smell.
Name 1 thing you can taste.
Feet on the Floor
Moving attention to the feet can help with both anxiety and dissociation. The tactile sensation in the feet helps send concrete signals to the nervous system that you are grounded and supported. It also engages proprioception, letting your mind know where your body is in space. Here’s how it’s done:
Sit down if it feels better for you.
Put both feet firmly flat on the floor below.
Feel the pressure and contact.
Notice texture, pressure, and temperature.
You might gently press your feet into the floor to increase sensation.
Grounding Objects
You can really use any object as a grounding object. Popular choices include smooth stones, a stress ball, a piece of soft fabric, or a keychain. Although these are common, you can use anything really as your grounding object. This technique works for dissociation by returning us to the present-time experience in the body, specifically in the hands here.
Pick up your grounding object into your hands.
Describe the texture, temperature, weight, shape, and color.
Really feel these aspects of your object as you describe them.
Narrate Your Surroundings
Looking around can be a great way to ground ourselves and arrive in the present moment. But you might try actually narrating what you see. You can do this silently in your head, or out loud if you’re in a position to do so. The verbal and cognitive orientation can help with dissociation, so we do recommend doing it out loud if possible. Simply note what you see around you in as much detail as you’re able.
Mindful Movements
There are many ways to reconnect with your body through movement. This can be something structured like yoga, but you can also do it in a more gentle and simple way. This can help us reconnect with the felt sense in the body during an episode of dissociation. Here are a few ideas you might try:
Walk slowly around the room (or outside).
Stretch your arms, hamstrings, or whole body.
Roll your shoulders or do arm circles.
Wiggle you fingers and toes.
Gently stamp your feet back and forth.
Temperature Input
Engaging sensory input that involves temperature is a surprisingly powerful grounding technique for dissociation. Rather than just feeling something in the body, the temperature can offer a bit of a stronger sensation to help you return to the present moment and your body. You might:
Hold a cool drink or take a sip of ice water.
Wash your hands or face with cool water.
Take a cool or warm shower (or play with the temperature).
Wrap yourself in a warm blanket.
Listen to Your Voice
As mentioned earlier, using your voice can help you connect with your body and experience substantially. You could name things you see, facts about yourself, sing a song, or read something out loud. You can also of course combine this with another grounding technique!
Grounding Phrases
Many people find success with simple grounding phrases. I encourage you to play around with these, and find what works for you. Feel free to adjust them as necessary. These are just jumping-off points. Again, you can offer these silently in your head, but many find them to be more effective if said out loud.
I am here right now.
This feeling will pass.
I am experiencing dissociation in this moment.
I am in the present moment.
Engage the Mind
Finally, engaging in some sort of mental task can be very useful. This may be difficult during intense dissociation, but this form of cognitive grounding works for many. You don’t want to engage in a task that is too tiring on the brain. Pick something that is doable and keeps the mind engaged. Here are a few examples:
Count backward from 100.
Count by threes (or fours, sixes, etc.).
Name every object you see of a specific color.
Spell words backward.
Name countries of a continent, animals, cities, etc.
Choosing Which Grounding Technique to Use
I can’t tell you what the right grounding technique is for you and your experience of dissociation. The best way to figure this out is to actually try the different practices and see what works well. Here is a general guide you might follow.
Feeling Detached or Far Away
If you have the feeling of detachment or being far away from yourself, you might try:
Feet on the floor
Grounding object
Mindful movement
Temperature input
Orienting to the present
When Everything Feels Unreal
When experience feels surreal or there’s a lack of connection with reality, you might try:
5-4-3-2-1
Narrating your surroundings
Grounding object
Trauma-Related Flashbacks
When dissociation arises in relation with some trauma, you might investigate:
Orienting to the present
Sensory grounding
Using grounding phrases
When Grounding Makes Dissociation Worse
For some people, grounding exercises can actually make dissociation grow. The discomfort in the body can cause distress and further dissociation. If any technique increases panic, causes worsening dissociation, strong traumatic memories, or feelings of disconnection, stop! Try something gentler. The answer often is not to ground yourself harder. It’s to be gentler.
Grounding Before You Need It
One thing we often point out is that grounding is not only useful for moments of dissociation. Although these techniques can be helpful during an acute episode, we can actually utilize them elsewhere during the day. This does a few things for us. It keeps us grounded in general and may help stave off acute episodes. It also gives us the opportunity to practice these exercises without the distress of dissociation, so that we know how to do them fully when the need arises.
When to Seek Professional Help
Dissociation is a great thing to talk about in therapy. Many people experience it, and it may or may not be a symptom of other mental health disorders. Grounding techniques are symptom management, and the underlying cause often benefits from therapy.
If dissociation is happening frequently, interfering with work or personal life, you have memory gaps, your dissociation is associated with trauma, or the grounding exercises are not managing the episodes, it may be time to reach out for professional support. You can learn more about our therapy practice here, or reach out for a free consultation via the secure form below.
