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Effective Grounding Techniques: Practical Tools to Help You Feel Safe in Your Body

Grounding techniques are among the most powerful skills we can learn when our mind is racing, our emotions feel overwhelming, or we’ve slipped into survival mode. For many LGBTQIA+ people, grounding can also be a way of reclaiming safety in a world that hasn’t always made space for us to breathe, rest, or be.


At Be/Here, grounding techniques are woven into our therapy work and our free mental-health skills workshops because they help reconnect us to the present moment—gently, without judgement, and at your own pace.


Below are effective grounding techniques that many in our community find helpful, along with queer-affirming resources you can explore whenever you need a moment of calm.


1. 5-4-3-2-1 Sensory Grounding Technique

This classic grounding technique brings you back into your body through your senses.

  • 5 things you can see

  • 4 things you can touch

  • 3 things you can hear

  • 2 things you can smell

  • 1 thing you can taste


It’s simple, soothing, and can be used anywhere—from the bus to your bedroom to a crowded event.



2. Temperature Shifts (Holding Ice or Splashing Cool Water)


Rapid temperature shifts send a quick signal to the nervous system that you’re safe and present. Holding an ice cube, splashing cold water on your face, or placing your hands under cool water can interrupt the spiral of anxiety or panic.

This method can be especially helpful for people who dissociate or feel numb during stress.


If you would like to learn more techniques in grounding, join one of our free online evening workshops at www.beheremcr.co.uk/events


3. “Name It to Tame It” – Label Your Feelings


Sometimes grounding starts with simply naming what’s happening internally:

  • “My chest feels tight.”

  • “I notice my thoughts are racing.”

  • “My body is telling me it’s overwhelmed.”

Naming emotions and sensations can activate the logical part of the brain and reduce the intensity of what you’re feeling.




4. The “Safe Object” Technique


Keep a small object that helps you feel connected—this could be:

  • A Pride pin

  • A smooth stone

  • A favourite piece of jewellery

  • A keyring from a loved one

  • A small fidget toy


When you feel disconnected, hold the object, feel the texture, and remind yourself:“I’m here. I’m safe. I’m allowed to slow down.”



“Queer community member taking a grounding breath – calming support exercise”

5. Move Your Body Intentionally


Grounding can be physical. Small, rhythmic movements can help regulate your nervous system:

  • Press both feet firmly into the floor

  • Gently stretch your arms and neck

  • Shake your hands or legs

  • Rock side to side

  • Place your hand on your chest and breathe into your palm

Movement invites your body back into the moment.




6. Affirming Breathwork (Box Breathing or Rainbow Breathing)


Try breathing in a slow pattern:

Box Breathing

  • Inhale 4 seconds

  • Hold 4

  • Exhale 4

  • Hold 4


Rainbow Breathing

Imagine drawing the arcs of a rainbow with each breath—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. A calm breath for each colour.

🌈 This method is especially helpful for LGBTQIA+ people who find visual imagery comforting and connecting.


Find out more about all our different services at www.beheremcr.co.uk


7. Grounding Through Identity Affirmation


For many LGBTQIA+ people, grounding isn’t just sensory—it’s emotional. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves:

  • “My identity is real.”

  • “I deserve support.”

  • “My body is allowed to feel what it feels.”

  • “I belong here.”


Placing a hand over your chest or stomach while speaking these affirmations can be deeply regulating.



Grounding Techniques for Anxiety and Overwhelm


Queer and trans people often navigate additional layers of stress—microaggressions, discrimination, identity invalidation, or the exhaustion of just trying to feel safe in spaces that weren’t built with us in mind.


Grounding doesn’t “fix” these pressures, but it helps your nervous system feel held.

It offers a moment of pause, clarity, and self-kindness—especially on the days it feels hardest.


Want Support Learning These Skills?


At Be/Here, we teach grounding and emotional regulation techniques in our free mental-health skills workshops and during affirming person-centred therapy sessions.

If you’d like to explore these tools with gentle guidance, you’re welcome to join us:


✨ Workshops & Groups → https://www.beheremcr.co.uk/workshops


Grounding is a practice, not a perfection.You’re already doing better than you think.And you’re not doing it alone. 💛

 
 
 

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