Your Body and Mind Are Connected: Here's Why Grounding Matters

 How Can Grounding Techniques Help Regulate Overwhelming Emotions During Moments Of Distress? 

Ever feel like your emotions are spiraling out of control? Mental health expert Demetria Nickens reveals a powerful antidote: grounding techniques that can transform moments of distress into opportunities for presence and peace.

"We have one body right, and it's all connected," Demetria explains, challenging the common misconception that our physical and mental states operate independently. This insight forms the foundation of effective grounding practices that help regulate overwhelming emotions. When we're distressed, we're typically fixated on something that has already happened or worried about future outcomes. Grounding breaks this cycle by redirecting our awareness to "the absolute right now."

Demetria shares several accessible techniques anyone can use, from the structured 5-4-3-2-1 sensory awareness exercise to simple mindful walking or box breathing (inhaling for four counts, holding for four, exhaling for four). The beauty of these approaches lies in their flexibility and simplicity—they require no special equipment and can be practiced in just 5-15 minutes during regular work breaks. "Just taking time to be with yourself and know what you're really feeling can be everything," she notes.

Ready to transform your relationship with difficult emotions? Listen now to learn how simple grounding practices can help you stay present, regulated, and emotionally resilient—no matter what life throws your way. For personalized support, visit DovesInnerBeauty.com for a complimentary consultation or call 336-298-6599.

Send us a text

For more information about Dove’s Inner B.E.A.U.T.Y. visit:
https://www.DovesInnerBeauty.com/
Dove’s Inner B.E.A.U.T.Y.
[phone]

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Dove's Inner Beauty Podcast, where we
foster emotional awareness, oneindividual at a time.
Leading the way is DemetriaNickens, a certified mental
health first aid instructor andtrauma recovery coach with over
two decades of experience infostering emotional awareness in
others by engaging their mentalhealth.

(00:22):
Awareness in others by engagingtheir mental health.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed.
Grounded might be the lifelineyou didn't know you needed.
Demetrius shares how sensorybased practice can calm your
mind and body in real time.
Welcome back everyone.
I'm Garfield Born, Co-hostslash producer.
Back in the studio with the oneand only Demetria Nickens,

(00:51):
certified mental health firstclass instructor and trauma
recovery coach.
Demetria, how's it going?

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Going all right.
Going all right.
How are you?

Speaker 2 (01:01):
That's good, good, I'm blessed, I'm blessed.
Right, how are you?
That's good, good, I'm blessed,I'm blessed.
So tell us how can groundingtechniques help regulate
overwhelming emotions duringmoments of distress?

Speaker 3 (01:14):
So great question.
So, when we think aboutgrounding techniques, it's
important to understand, kind of, what grounding is, because
everybody doesn't even know whatgrounding is.
This idea of being able to bemore in the present with
yourself, right, understandingwhat you're feeling from a
mental standpoint, but also froma physical standpoint, right,
people always seem to think thatphysical and mental are so

(01:38):
separate from each other.
But we have one body right, andit's all connected, and so it
is important to recognize that,because of that connection, our
bodies can help us mentally andour mental can help our bodies,
because they're all together,they work together.
So it's important to recognizethat.
So, when we think about thisidea of grounding, there are

(01:58):
many different ways that peopledo it, but, honestly, it's about
being in the presence, rightWith yourself.
And so what do I feel right now?
What do I see right now?
What do I smell?
Right now?
We're really engaging.
When you're grounding, you'reengaging your senses, whether
that's sitting inside, whetherthat's your feet in the grass
outside, no matter where you'reat or what you decide to do,

(02:22):
when it comes to grounding, it'sjust this idea that I want to
be in the present moment.
So when we're in distress, weare thinking about, possibly
something that happened in thepast, even if it's the past a
few seconds ago, right, I got aphone call and I'm upset about a
thing, right?
Or somebody did something andnow I'm mad about it, or I mean

(02:44):
just anything.
Right, it could be anything butnine times out of 10, when we
feel like we're in a distressedmoment, something has happened
to put us in that distressedmoment.
And so when you try to groundyourself, right, the idea is
you're not thinking about thepast or the future, you're
thinking about the absoluteright now.
And so grounding is about beingable to say you know what?

(03:07):
Stop all the noise, all thethings.
I'm not thinking about the past, I'm not thinking about the
present, I'm not thinking aboutthe future, excuse me, I'm
thinking about right now, justright, absolutely right now.
What do I feel right now?
Sometimes people will say, okay,start with five.
Right, what are five thingsthat are blue that I can see in
this room?

(03:28):
Cool.
What are four things that I cansmell in this room?
What are three things that Ican touch in this room?
And then literally just goingdown the line of your senses to
kind of bring you back into thepresent moment versus being in
the past or being in the future,right, and so because you're in
the present moment, youautomatically kind of stop

(03:51):
yourself.
It's like a distraction beingable to just kind of stop
yourself from thinking abouteverything else that's going on.
Just be right here in thismoment.
A lot of people don't want tobe in the moment with themselves
, right, because they're worriedabout all the thoughts that are
going to come in their mind.

(04:14):
But if you can stay focused onwhat is happening in the present
, like just sitting in a chairright now, right, we're both
sitting in a seat.
How's your butt feeling thatseat?
Is the seat hard, is it a soft?
Is it a cushion?
Right, how do you feel in thatseat?
You're in the present.
I'm thinking about oh, what'sgoing on in the seat?
Am I hot, am I cold?
Right, what do I feel?
And being very intentionalabout those feelings, both

(04:35):
mentally and physically, keepsyou in the moment, right then
and there, and not past orfuture.
And so grounding just helps tojust stay present with yourself.
Where are you at right now?
And just it's like just takingthis gauge of oh okay, I'm not
feeling too bad right now, likeif I'm just thinking about right

(04:56):
now.
I'm not too bad right now, orI'm cold right now, or no, I'm
just really hot right now, orwhatever it is.
You're focused on the right nowversus whatever else that you
had going on, and so it helps toreally pull you out of that
thought pattern that you were inthat may have been this
negative cycle of thinking.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, as a lay person listening, a lot of things come
into my mind here, thinkingabout the parent whose child is
just driving her crazy and she'strying to breathe, breathe in,
breathe out.
Count from one to 10 backwards.
Yeah, is some groundingtechniques better than others,

(05:36):
depending on situations?

Speaker 3 (05:39):
I think it depends on the situation.
Yeah, breathing, breath is life.
People take that for granted.
I feel like I say that a lot,but breath is life and people do
not take the time to reallybreathe right, like, really can
you feel the breath enteringyour nose, exiting your mouth?

(05:59):
Is the breath hot, cold, right,when you can take the time to
think about just those minutedetails?
You're not thinking aboutsomething that's distressing you
in the moment.
You're thinking about thoseminute details.
You're not thinking aboutsomething that's distressing you
in the moment.
You're thinking about thoseminute details.
And so I really do think thatit depends on the situation how
upset you are, how much you getin your head as a person.

(06:21):
I think different groundingtechniques help for different
people.
It's important to at least trydifferent grounding techniques
out to know which ones work bestfor you.
There are some people who, ifthey're outside and their feet
is in the grass, in the dirt,they feel like they are grounded
with the earth and that is justthe best place that they can be

(06:42):
.
It's peaceful, that's all theyneed, right?
Can they get outside and gettheir feet in the dirt and in
some grass, and it helps them tojust be the best person they
can be.
Other people they're like okay,this does nothing for me.
What you?
What are you talking about?
So what can I go get some shoesRight?
You like them at all.

(07:02):
So it just really depends onthe person.

Speaker 2 (07:08):
Yeah, and I and I noticed and you know some people
like to go by the water andplay with the birds and stuff
like that.
Yeah, and I noticed and youknow some people like to go by
the water and play with thebirds and stuff like that.
How do you incorporate some ofthis in your daily routine to
alleviate stress?

Speaker 3 (07:24):
Oh man.
So I would say you know, if youget 10, 15 minute break at work
, right, how do you take thatbreak?
Right?
Do you sit there still at yourdesk and eat?
How helpful is that right?
Use some of that time tobreathe, do some breathing
exercises.
We call it box breath.
So this idea of inhale for four,hold it for four, exhale for

(07:46):
four and just continuing thatfor maybe five minutes, it's
very 10 minutes right.
Very helpful to kind of what wecall regulate the nervous
system and just get you back toa level of what they call like
even keel.
This idea where you're not soheightened in your senses, your
senses calm down, that's yourbody, that's physical right.

(08:07):
And so being able to say, allright, I'm gonna calm my nervous
system down, I'm going to dosome box breathing and I'm just
going to stop, or maybe you'rethe person that at work, you got
to go take a walk at work.
That is like those are likegrounding techniques, even
though people don't think aboutit.
This idea of self-care right,being able to say you know what?
I'm going to go outside in thisbeautiful time and walk and just

(08:29):
feel the breeze or the sun orwhatever hit my face.
It's beautifully groundingbecause you're in the present of
walking right, you're presentlyoutside and you're walking and
you're paying attention to youwalking and being outside right,
and maybe you're getting yourfrustrations out, maybe you're
thinking about all the things,but there's ways to kind of help
.
So, no matter what you're doing, 10, 15 minutes right,

(08:51):
everybody has the ability totake 10, 15 minutes.
You just have to find those 10,15 minutes and be able to say
you know what?
I'm feeling a little heightenedright now.
Whatever the emotion is in thisthing, I'm just going to breathe
, or I'm going to go outside, orI'm going to ground, I'm going
to sit in this chair, I'm goingto sit outside and I'm going to
focus on just what's happeningright now in the present.

(09:11):
So just taking time to be withyourself and know what you're
really feeling can be everything.
Even if it's just five, 10minutes, it can be very, very
helpful to you and you neverreally realized how helpful it
can be until you try it.

Speaker 2 (09:27):
And most people on the job, they do get breaks,
yeah, so you know.
Demetria's showing you how totake them and get grounded.
Love it.
You have a wonderful rest ofthe day.
We'll see you on the nextepisode.

Speaker 3 (09:40):
Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (09:42):
Thank you for tuning in to the Doves Inner Beauty
podcast, where we fosteremotional awareness.
One individual at a time For acomplimentary consultation.
Individual at a time For acomplimentary consultation visit
DovesInnerBeautycom or call336-298-6599.

(10:03):
That's 336-298-6599.