Hello Friends,
Holiday overwhelm is real. It can often creep up on you out of nowhere and become challenging to deal with. Here are four of my favourite quick and easy grounding exercises you can use to ground yourself when the holiday stress becomes overwhelming.
- 5-4-3-2-1 Method: Identify 5 festive things you SEE, 4 things you can TOUCH, 3 things you HEAR, 2 things you SMELL and 1 thing you can TASTE.
- This is a great one to use to ground yourself at a holiday dinner or party if you are feeling overwhelmed and unable to leave the environment. This exercise will help you ground yourself back into the present moment. The last one can be tricky. So, if you are struggling to find something you can taste, simply take a deep breath instead.
- Square Breathing: Inhale deeply for a count of 4, hold your breath at the top for a count of 4, then exhale slowly for 4 seconds and finally hold it at the bottom of the breath for another 4.
- This exercise can be completed anywhere, anytime, making it perfect for coping with holiday stress. Deep breathing is the quickest way to calm your body and ground yourself back into the present moment.
- Pocket Affirmation: Write a mantra or affirmation on a small card you can keep with you. When you feel like the holiday stress is too much, ground yourself by repeating a calming affirmation. Example: “I am safe”
- It is always a great idea to carry reminders around with you. If you don’t want to take a note, consider keeping it on your phone. You could create a note on your phone with grounding affirmations, keep it as your screensaver or set reminders with grounding affirmations.
- Physical Grounding: Focus on small movements or sensations you can create within your body to physically ground yourself into the present moment. This could include wiggling your fingers and toes, pressing your feet into the ground or lightly pressing your palms into your legs.
- This is a great meditative practice to use even when not feeling overwhelmed to help you stay present. It is also a great way to ground yourself when feeling overwhelmed. This is another easy one to do at the dinner table or while in a conversation.
Remember that you have been here before and have always gotten through it. Although feeling overwhelmed is scary and uncomfortable in the moment, it will eventually pass. Make sure to follow me on social media and subscribe for more mental health content!
Until Tomorrow, My Friends!
P.S. I’m proud of you 😉