5 Grounding Techniques to Calm Anxiety During Big Life Changes

May 1

3 min read

Big life changes have a sneaky way of shaking everything up, don’t they?

Even the good ones—new job, new relationship, moving to a new place—can leave you feeling like you’re floating outside your body, disconnected, overwhelmed, and on edge. And if the change is painful or uncertain? Well, that can crank anxiety up to a whole new level.

If you’ve ever found yourself spiraling during transition—racing thoughts, tight chest, can’t-focus, can’t-breathe kind of feeling—I want you to know something: you’re not alone. And you’re not doing anything wrong.

Transitions activate our nervous systems. They stir up old fears, future worries, and sometimes even childhood patterns we didn’t realize were still hanging around.

That’s where grounding comes in.

Grounding is a way of gently reminding your body, “Hey, we’re safe right now. We’re here. We’re okay.”

Here are five simple grounding techniques I often share with clients—and use myself—when the world feels a little too wobbly.

1. 5-4-3-2-1 Technique (For When Your Thoughts Won’t Stop Racing)

This one’s a classic for a reason. It gives your mind something concrete to focus on when your anxiety is trying to latch onto everything at once.

Here’s how it goes:

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

It pulls you out of your head and into your senses—out of fear and into the present. I like to keep this one in my back pocket for meetings, airports, or even just lying in bed at night with my brain on overdrive.

2. Name What’s Changing (And What’s Not)

When life feels chaotic, naming things brings clarity. Take a few minutes and write this out:

What’s changing right now?
What’s staying the same?

It might seem simple, but there’s something incredibly grounding about seeing those two lists side by side. It helps remind your nervous system that while some things are shifting, not everything is.

That sense of stability? That’s calming. That’s grounding.

3. Touch Something Solid (And Actually Notice It)

Anxiety pulls us into our heads. Grounding pulls us back into our bodies.

Place your hand on something solid—your desk, a wall, the ground beneath your feet. Then pause and actually feel it. Notice the texture, temperature, firmness.

Say to yourself (either silently or out loud): "I am here. This is real. I am safe."

Sometimes I even go outside and press my hands into the earth. You’d be amazed how powerful a few seconds of mindful touch can be.

4. Breathe with a Count (Because Anxious Breathing Isn’t the Same as Calming Breathing)

When anxiety kicks in, our breathing usually goes shallow and fast. The goal here is to slow things down and signal safety to the body.

Try this simple pattern:

Inhale for 4 counts
Hold for 4 counts
Exhale for 6 counts

The longer exhale helps engage your parasympathetic nervous system (a.k.a. your “rest and digest” mode). Do this for just one or two minutes and notice how your body starts to settle.

5. Anchor to a Daily Ritual (Something That Doesn’t Change When Everything Else Does)

This one’s big during transitions. When your life feels up in the air, having one small ritual that stays the same can make a huge difference.

Maybe it’s:

A morning cup of tea
A 10-minute walk
Lighting a candle before bed
Journaling for five minutes

It’s less about what the ritual is and more about what it represents—a thread of stability in the middle of change.

I often tell clients: your ritual doesn’t have to fix everything. It just has to remind you that you’re still you, even when life is shifting.

Final Thoughts

Big life changes will always stir things up. That’s just part of being human. But you don’t have to be swept away by the overwhelm.

These grounding techniques are little lifelines—ways to come back to yourself, one breath or one moment at a time.

And if you’re in the middle of a transition and feeling totally untethered, I want you to know: you don’t have to navigate this alone. Sometimes, having someone walk with you through the fog makes all the difference.

If you’re ready for that kind of support—or even just curious—I’d love to connect.