When anxiety hits, your mind can race, your body can tense up, and it can feel impossible to slow down. Grounding exercises help bring you back into the present moment, out of spiraling thoughts and into something steadier. Whether you're dealing with everyday stress, panic, or the chronic overthinking so many New Yorkers experience, grounding can be a powerful tool for regulating your nervous system.

In a place like NYC, where noise, crowds, and constant pressure can amplify anxiety, having simple techniques you can use anywhere – on the subway, between classes, in your apartment, or during a stressful meeting – makes a real difference. These seven exercises are research-supported, easy to learn, and can be done in just a few minutes.

If anxiety is overwhelming your day-to-day life, grounding can help you feel more in control while you work through deeper patterns in therapy. Let’s walk through seven effective techniques.

1. The 5–4–3–2–1 Method

Before diving into the steps, it’s helpful to know that this grounding tool uses your senses to interrupt spiraling thoughts and reconnect you to your physical environment. It’s one of the most widely recommended techniques for anxiety because it’s quick, discreet, and easy to remember. Take a moment to put your feet flat on the floor, roll your shoulders up, back, and down, and take a deep breath. Then look around the space and notice:

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

As you move through each sense, describe the items slowly and deliberately. Notice details like colors, textures, temperature. This exercise works well anywhere in NYC: noticing subway ads, the fabric of your clothing, or the sound of traffic can all anchor you in the present moment.

2. Box Breathing (4–4–4–4)

Before starting, know that box breathing is used by everyone from therapists to athletes to Navy SEALs because it helps calm your nervous system within minutes. It balances oxygen and CO₂ levels, which reduces physical symptoms of anxiety like dizziness or chest tightness.

Here’s how:

Inhale for 4 seconds
Hold for 4 seconds
Exhale for 4 seconds
Hold for 4 seconds

Repeat the cycle 3–5 times. This technique is great for moments when you feel overwhelmed, like walking into a busy Manhattan workplace or preparing for a difficult conversation.

Like most skills, this technique works best the more you practice it. Try box breathing throughout the day when you’re calm, like on the subway, in a break between meetings, or as you’re falling asleep. The more you practice it while you’re calm, the more effective it will be in grounding you when you’re anxious or activated.

3. Activate the Dive Reflex (Using Cold Water or Ice)

The dive reflex is a natural calming response your body activates when your face is exposed to cold water. It slows your heart rate, redirects blood flow, and helps regulate your nervous system – which makes it especially useful during moments of panic, overwhelm, or emotional intensity. While the strongest effect happens when the whole face is submerged in cold water, there are realistic, accessible ways to use this reflex anywhere.

Here are a few ways to activate it:

Submerge your face in cold water while holding your breath for 10–30 seconds if you’re at home (ideally around 50°F). This creates the most powerful shift, but it’s not always practical.
Place an ice pack or cold compress across your eyes, cheeks, and forehead (the “diving mask area”). This is one of the most effective on-the-go alternatives.
Hold ice or a very cold object to your eyes and upper cheeks
Use a bowl of ice water to briefly hold your breath and lower your face just enough so the water covers your eyes and forehead.

You’ll know you’re activating the reflex when your breathing slows, your heart rate drops, and your body shifts out of panic mode. These techniques are fast, effective, and can offer meaningful relief even in the middle of a packed day in NYC.

4. “Name What’s True” (Cognitive Grounding)

Before using this technique, remind yourself that grounding isn’t about arguing with your feelings – it’s about anchoring yourself in reality. Anxiety creates “what if” scenarios; cognitive grounding brings you back to what’s actually happening.

Silently say to yourself:

Right now, I am safe.
Right now, I am sitting/standing/walking.
Right now, my feelings are uncomfortable, but they are not dangerous.

This exercise is powerful when anxiety creates distorted thoughts. It helps you interrupt catastrophic thinking and root yourself in the present moment.

5. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique that works by engaging both tension and release, signaling safety to the body. This approach is excellent if you carry anxiety in your jaw, shoulders, or chest.

Start at your feet and work upward:

Tense each muscle group for 5 seconds
Release for 10 seconds
Notice the difference

Move through your body, one muscle group at a time, until your entire body is relaxed. PMR is ideal when you need grounding in a private moment like before class, before a meeting, or before bed. Like all of these skills, it’s most effective if you practice it frequently while calm.

6. Object Grounding (Using What’s Around You)

Before trying this technique, know that grounding doesn’t need to be complicated. Sometimes the most effective tool is something you’re already holding.

Choose an object — your phone, a pen, a ring, a water bottle — and focus on:

Texture
Weight
Temperature
Edges or curves
Colors or patterns

This method is subtle, which makes it perfect for public spaces in NYC when you need grounding but don’t want anyone to notice.

7. “Describe the Room” Method

Before starting, remind yourself that directing your attention outward interrupts the mental loop of anxiety. This is especially helpful when you feel stuck in your head.

Pick a few categories and describe them to yourself:

Colors you see
Shapes
Light sources
Movements
Sounds

It’s almost like stepping into the role of an observer instead of someone being swept away by anxious thoughts. Many clients use this technique when anxiety spikes on crowded subways or in overstimulating environments.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

Grounding techniques are powerful tools for calming anxiety, and the best part is that you can use them anywhere, from a Queens apartment to a crowded Midtown sidewalk. These exercises help regulate your nervous system, reduce overwhelm, and build emotional resilience over time.

If anxiety is taking up too much space in your life, grounding is a great start – but deeper healing often requires support. At Insight Therapy NYC, our diverse team of therapists can help you understand the root of anxiety and build long-lasting tools to manage it.

Schedule a free 30-minute consultation or fill out our Therapist Matching Questionnaire to get matched with a therapist who understands your needs.

FAQs

Grounding exercises help calm your nervous system by bringing your attention back to the present moment. They interrupt spiraling thoughts and reduce physical symptoms of stress. Many people in NYC find grounding especially useful because the city’s fast pace can intensify anxiety. These techniques provide a quick, accessible way to feel more steady. In therapy, grounding is often paired with deeper work to address the root of anxiety.
Yes, grounding can be very effective during panic. Techniques like box breathing, temperature shifts, or the 5–4–3–2–1 method help regulate your body when you feel overwhelmed. Because panic attacks can feel frightening, grounding offers a way to gently anchor yourself. Many clients find these skills reduce the intensity and duration of panic episodes. A therapist can help you personalize these tools so they work even better for you.
Absolutely. Whether you’re dealing with academic pressure at NYU or high-demand work in NYC, grounding techniques help you pause, reset, and refocus. They can reduce mental fatigue and improve concentration. Because many of them are discreet, you can use them before presentations, deadlines, or social situations. Over time, grounding builds resilience by giving your body a reliable path back to calm.
Grounding is a helpful tool, but it doesn’t replace the deeper healing that therapy provides. These techniques manage symptoms in the moment, while therapy helps you understand why anxiety shows up in the first place. Many clients benefit from using grounding skills between sessions. Together, grounding and therapy offer immediate relief and long-term growth.
Yes. At Insight Therapy NYC, our therapists teach grounding tools through secure virtual sessions across New York State. Many clients practicing grounding find online therapy especially comfortable because they can learn skills from their own space. Virtual sessions provide the same level of care, structure, and support as in-person therapy. Whether from home or on the go, you can build skills that help you feel grounded anywhere.