In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, finding moments of clarity and presence can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are powerful grounding techniques available to bring us back to the present moment.

Here are three grounding techniques to help you to become more present in your surroundings:

1. Focusing On Your Senses
Most of us have five senses which can help us to feel present in the world around us: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. A mindfulness exercise that can help us feel more aware of our surroundings involves focusing on one of our senses and linking the sense to something in our present environment. For example:

• Counting the red objects that you can see in the room.
• Identifying sounds in the room or outside the window.
• Feeling the texture of the seat you’re sitting in, or wiggling your toes in your shoes.
• Eating a sweet or sour snack.
• Smelling your favourite perfume.

2. Getting Out In Nature
Breathing in fresh air can be a great way to help you feel present. Whether you work in an office, spend all day in a classroom, or generally spend a lot of time indoors, making time to go outside and observe your surroundings can support you to feel present. Depending on how you like to spend your time, this could include:

• Going for a walk alone or with your pet.
• Having a picnic at the park with your friends.
• Laying down in the grass.  
• Reading a book in your yard.
• Playing a sport outside.

3. Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises are a great and subtle way to ground yourself in any environment. There are a lot of free online resources that provide different ideas for breathing exercises. Some of these include: