Written by: Hannah Heukeshoven, MS, LAPC (She/They)
In moments where you feel out of control or dysregulated, both physically and emotionally, it can feel like a struggle to come back to your body. Sensory grounding skills can help!
What is Sensory Grounding?
Sensory grounding is using your senses to regain control of your body and calm your nervous system when you feel heightened and overwhelmed. These techniques can help you feel present, relaxed, and activate your body’s relaxation response. While it may feel impossible in the moment, utilizing some of these techniques can make a difference in those overwhelming moments.
Ice Ice Baby!
Utilizing ice during a panic attack or heightened moment is called “Sensory distraction”, due to the intense cold distracting you from distressing thoughts. Cold water is also believed to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which works to calm your body, brain, and breathing.
To do this technique, all you need is an ice cube, an ice pack, or even some frozen vegetables. You can place this frozen item anywhere- hold it in your hands, place it on the back of your neck, or even on your chest. Once the cold item is in place, try to direct your thoughts to the sensation of the coldness, and focus on slowing your breathing.
Some variations of this exercise include:
- Taking a cold shower
- Putting an ice cube in your mouth and pushing it to the roof of your mouth
- Dunking your face in ice water
- Running cold water on your hands.
Pucker Up
Similar to ice, sour candy is also considered a “sensory distraction”, due to the sharp acidity of the candy allowing you to engage your senses, increase self-awareness, and ground you in the present. Unlike ice, sour candy is more readily available and can be easily carried around, allowing you to utilize this technique in more public spaces or any time you are outside of your house.
To do this technique, all you need is a piece of sour candy, Warhead Hard Candies being the most effective. Just pop the candy in your mouth, and focus on the sharp, sour tang of the candy. When you start to feel more present in your body, start to focus on deep breathing, as this can help further relax your body and mind.
Breathe Deep
The final sensory grounding technique I will cover is using essential oils or just smelling something with a strong scent. Essential oils are unique, as they can often have mood-enhancing or other positive effects on our bodies. Research studies have shown that certain essential oils can provide beneficial effects to the nervous system.
To do this technique, choose an essential oil scent that you enjoy. There are different benefits for each of these oils, so choose one that smells nice and has properties that may be beneficial to you. Lavender, peppermint, and clary sage are some that have been shown to reduce anxiety. There are different ways to inhale essential oils. When breathing in the essential oils, make sure you are focusing on the scent of them and the sensation of your breathing.
You can:
- Smell it directly from the bottle
- Mix it in with a lotion and smell your hands
- Utilize different diffusers such as an inhaler, necklace, or bracelet
- Search “essential oil diffuser jewelry” or “essential oil reusable inhaler” for more details
It can be hard to center ourselves in moments of intensity; we may feel lost and outside of ourselves when experiencing intense panic. Hopefully, utilizing these more intense sensory distractions can ground you and bring you back into yourself. While these may not solve the issue, they can surely provide temporary relief and successfully ground you. If you are looking to learn more lasting skills and get to the root of your anxiety, reach out to a therapist.
To schedule an appointment with Hannah contact us here or email info@elementspgh.com or call 412-587-6020.
The information contained in this blog does not replace professional treatment or diagnosis and is for educational purposes only.
References:
Sattayakhom, A., Wichit, S., & Koomhin, P. (2023). The Effects of Essential Oils on the Nervous System: A Scoping Review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 28(9), 3771. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28093771
Sayorwan, W. et al. (2012). The effects of lavender oil inhalation on emotional states, autonomic nervous system, and brain electrical activity. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand, 95(4), 598–606.
Mäkinen, T. M., et al. (2008). Autonomic nervous function during whole-body cold exposure before and after cold acclimation. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine, 79(9), 875–882. https://doi.org/10.3357/asem.2235.2008
Jungmann, M., et al. (2018). Effects of Cold Stimulation on Cardiac-Vagal Activation in Healthy Participants: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR formative research, 2(2), e10257. https://doi.org/10.2196/10257
Rolquin, Clare (2025) Does Sour Candy Help With Anxiety? https://www.choosingtherapy.com/does-sour-candy-help-with-anxiety/
