Are Mindfulness and Grounding Skills Same?

I often teach and practice mindfulness and grounding exercises in therapy sessions. When I initially started to use mindfulness-based techniques in therapy with clients, I used to use these two terms interchangeably (and sometimes they can be used interchangeably!). Over time I’ve realised differences between the two and why it can be helpful to understand them so we can understand which skill to use when.

“All Mindfulness Practices are grounding in nature, but not all Grounding Practices are mindfulness!”

Mindfulness is a very broad term used to describe living intentionally with an increased awareness of yourself and your surroundings. However, mindfulness more accurately describes practicing and maintaining an awareness of one’s internal and external experiences without judgment and with acceptance. An example of a mindfulness practice would be 5 minutes of morning meditation where you focus on your breath and notice the thoughts and feelings that may arise. You acknowledge them and let them flow freely past without judgment. Learning to focus on your mind and body while releasing thoughts and observing without judgment are cornerstones of mindfulness. 

Grounding on the other hand, is the practice of using sensory input and perception of your surroundings to bring your focus to the present moment. Often used when an individual is overwhelmed/stressed, they help you stay in the moment or bring you back to the present when your body or mind leaves to a place of trauma/stress in the past or future. An example of grounding can simply be digging your heels into the ground and observing the feeling of pressure in your feet and how it may feel travelling through your ankles and calves. One of my favorite grounding techniques is to name 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you feel, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste! Not only is it difficult (and distracting) to remember all our senses, it brings awareness to noticing our surroundings. Grounding is integral in reminding your mind and your body that at this present moment, you are safe. 

To conclude, both mindfulness and grounding skills help you stay in the “here and now” and help regain a feeling of safety and control. Mindfulness can be used in daily practice to build emotional regulation, reduce self-critical thinking, and reduce rumination/overthinking. It is more preventative in nature and requires practice to exercise the muscle that incorporates the full spectrum of mindfulness. Grounding techniques are more ad hoc: I would use them when feeling especially anxious or when I identify having a fearful reaction to something that has not yet happened, am reminded of painful past experience or when feeling disconnected from my surroundings!