What do you do when you get a craving?  When you’re in that moment and your next move may decide whether you pick up a bottle, or not.  And how do you feel when you’re in that moment?  

For example…I feel anxious, I feel panicky and I feel nervous.  

In a recent therapy session I shared with my therapist that since my recent relapse I have been noticing I am having more frequent moments of feeling anxious and feeling cravings come up.  I don’t know if these feelings are really more frequent or if I am just paying closer attention now…but regardless, the feelings are there either way.  (Side note – Back to 72 days alcohol free as of this writing!),

She asked me what I do when these feelings come up?   Did I know what grounding was, did I use any grounding techniques or grounding exercises when I was “in” those moments?

I know what being grounded is…I was grounded a lot while growing up. ?  And I’ve heard the term grounding used with earthing…walking around outside barefoot, which I also do a lot of.  But she was talking about something else.  

She gave me some grounding techniques that I had never heard of…that I could do anywhere, at any time.  I’ve used these…and I have found them helpful.  They help me turn my attention away from my anxious mind and off the craving…help me refocus on the present moment.  And help me move into the next hour sober.  I’m going to share some of them with you and maybe you will find them helpful as well.  ??

The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique (or the 5 Senses Technique)

Our physical body is how we interface with the rest of reality, the five senses like tethers anchoring us to the moment.

• Look For 5 Things You Can See: Look for the small details, the wood grain on the desk in front of you, the pattern in the ceiling.  Become aware of the glossy green of the plant in the corner. Take your time to really look and acknowledge what you see.  Maybe look for something that you may not have noticed before.
• Become Aware Of 4 Things You Can Touch/Feel: The clothing on your body, your cotton shirt against your neck. The warmth of the sun on your skin.  The wind blowing through your hair.  The chair you are sitting on.  It may help to vocalize these…”I feel the wind blowing through my hair, I feel the warmth of the sun on my face.”
• Acknowledge 3 Things You Can Hear: Pay special attention to the sounds your mind has tuned out.  Don’t judge, just hear. The distant traffic. The ticking of the clock.  The roosters outside. (I’m in Hawaii as I write this, there are a lot of roosters outside. ?)  The voices in the next room. 
• Notice 2 Things You Can Smell: Try to notice smells in the air around you, like an air freshener or freshly mowed grass.  If at first you don’t feel like you can smell anything, simply try to sense the subtle fragrance of the air around you, or of your own skin.
• Become Aware Of 1 Thing You Can Taste: I suggest carrying snacks for this step…because, snacks…duh.  Pop one in your mouth and focus your attention closely on the flavors.  

Repeat, repeat…as many times as needed.  ??

Another grounding technique she shared with me was like playing a game of “categories” with yourself.  

Pick a category (types of dogs, fruits and veggies, cereals, jazz musicians, animals, famous people, cars, TV shows, writers, sports, songs, cities, etc.) and name as many items in the category that you can think of.  For a variation name the items alphabetically or try to name an item in the category that begins with each letter of the alphabet.   This can also be a great game to keep kids preoccupied in the car!  

For some more grounding techniques Paul shared some of his here.

Like I said in the beginning…I had a recent relapse.  Weirdly I feel alright about that.  I have found these quick and easy grounding techniques to be very helpful for me at this stage of my journey.  I hope that they may help you too.  

If you have any that you use and would share, please drop them in the comments! 

Until next time, be well.  

Kerri Mac ?