5 Grounding Techniques That Help Seniors Feel More Centered

A systematic review in Brain Sciences showed that regulating your breathing can help counter feelings of stress, demonstrating that simple techniques can go a long way to supporting our mental health.

In your senior years, maintaining low stress levels and positive mental health is crucial for living your best retirement life in the beautiful surroundings of Arlington, TX. Read on as we share five of the best grounding techniques that anyone can try to help calm nerves and focus on the present moment.

1. Practice Deep Breathing and Grounding

Deep breathing seems like a simple technique, and it is. But it's always best to learn a proper method from an instructor so that you can get maximum benefits from it.

Slow, intentional breathing can help remove your body and mind from a stressed or anxious state. That's because deep breathing helps connect to our nervous system, telling our bodies it's safe to relax.The result is that it can lower tension in the body and even reduce our heart rate.

There are lots of deep breathing techniques, and it's worth finding a meditation class in your senior living community. However, as a simple starting point, try the 4-4-4 method, which is a common technique and easy to master.

With this technique, you:

• Breathe in through your nose for a count of four
• Hold your breath for four counts
• Exhale through your mouth for four counts.

Repeating this will help lower your heart rate and make you feel more grounded.

A significant part of breathing is that you can try it anywhere, at any time. It's a good emergency tool to have on hand for especially anxious situations, like waiting to see your doctor about a health diagnosis.

2. Relaxation for Older Adults: Mindful Observation

A busy modern world can often leave us with racing minds and anxious thoughts. One of the best ways to ground yourself on days when you are thinking this way is to slow down and observe the world around you.

This is so effective, in fact, that there are formal techniques that you can learn to help you get the full benefits. If you're unsure about where to begin, consider trying mindfulness training in a group session for seniors.

Here is a simple mindfulness technique you can try today:

• Choose a quiet spot and focus on your surroundings
• Note colors, shapes, and movements
• Observe small details, like the patterns on leaves or the textures of wood
• Focus on your other senses, like smells and sounds

While this is an excellent activity to try in nature, you don't have to be somewhere scenic. This technique is equally effective in your private living quarters or in a quiet room like a library.

Do this slowly and allow yourself to move through each observation one step at a time. When you get more skilled at this, you'll start to feel a sense of stillness that can ground you and calm your thoughts.

3. Mental Clarity Tips: Adopt the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

When you experience overwhelm in any situation and start to feel a rush of anxiety and palpitations, it can feel quite challenging to get your emotions and reactions back under control again. When that happens, try this simple and effective grounding technique.

This five-point technique is focused on the five senses, and it's a mindfulness practice that can help you focus on the present moment.

Here is how it works:

• Observe five things you can see in your surroundings
• List four textures you can sense and touch
• Note three sounds you can hear
• Identify two smells you notice in your vicinity
• Think about one thing you can taste

It's a simple technique that anyone can try. If you combine this with deep breathing, it becomes a powerful tool to have at the ready for the next time overwhelming worries and stress rush through your brain.

4. Holistic Wellness in Aging: Movement-Based Grounding

To feel more grounded, you don't have to sit and be mindful. Gentle movement can also be an excellent way of dealing with stress and worry. Movement can help reduce physical tension in the body and has the added benefit of improving your circulation, especially when combined with proper breathing techniques.

Any low-impact movement can help ground you, including:

• Basic stretching
• Tai chi
• Yoga or chair yoga
• Walking in gardens or through a nature trail
• Gardening

Movement is rhythmic, which can help calm you and boost your mood. It's also excellent for supporting your body, muscles, and heart, as well as improving flexibility.

Regular exercise, especially when you repeat it at the same time each day as part of a routine, can help you feel more upbeat and energized.

5. Sensory-Based Grounding Activities

One reason it can be hard to feel grounded is that modern life is tech-driven and fast-paced.

There is rarely time to stop, look, listen, and sense the world around us. Reconnecting with our senses can be a joyful experience for many, bringing back memories of childhood when life was slow and easy enough to stop and smell the roses.

Sensory grounding is a flexible tool for anxiety management for seniors, and you can try this on your own or as a group activity. It's also an excellent activity for those with memory loss.

In a sensory session, you'll use a small item that you can observe. This can be an item given out by the instructor, or it can be something personal to you. Everyday sensory items include things like shells, stones, wool, and jewelry.

Your goal is to focus on the sensation of the object, how it feels in your hand, any scents, temperature, or sounds.

This level of focus shifts your brain away from other thoughts. It can help calm you if you are feeling restless or overwhelmed in a noisy or hectic environment, such as a train station.

Proven Grounding Techniques for Seniors

It's easy to overlook stress and worry, but ignoring them can worsen a situation and begin to impact your mental health. Grounding techniques can help you focus and feel more at ease again, so try one of these five methods today. 

At Morada Lake Arlington, we have a community that stands out for wellness, with beautiful surroundings and walking paths, an exciting culture, and on-site activities. Find out more by booking a tour.