“… Give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” (Niebhur, 1940)
Some days the world can seem overwhelming. Whether talk of war fills the news or worries about the economy, life can be unpredictable and a little scary. Trying to constantly identify and process these threats alongside the existing challenges of our daily lives can overwhelm even the calmest person. anxioustired and overwhelmed. The good news is that there are some simple things that can help bring us back to a sense of clarity and control.
When your brain senses a threat, it activates stress A response designed to keep you safe and help you plan your response to a threat. However, many of the threats we see in modern life are not immediate or physical. They are broader, more abstract fears, such as global events, political issues, or things beyond our control. Scott et al (2025) found that focusing on fear can have a negative impact on performance and well-being, especially when there is nothing you can do to change the situation. So the danger is that we sense the danger but get stuck in this cycle where there is no way to act against it. Fortunately, there is a solution to this inconsistency based on grounding principles.
Grounding techniques are a category of therapeutic tools that help calm people during times of stress or distress and help them refocus on the present. In other words, they stop the cycle of anxiety and help them feel calm and safe in the present. Hammond and Brown (2025) investigated the use of grounding techniques, such as asking questions to reorient the person to the present or encouraging them to touch a sensory object during a panic attack. They found that grounding techniques have the ability to calm people down and distract them from the experience emotional dysregulation and grief.
So how can we use this approach to help our everyday fears? Two key questions to ask yourself are:
- What is really happening now? When we start to worry or worry, our mind can race ahead and we can crash or worry about things that haven’t even happened. Asking this question bluntly helps stop the “what if” thinking. anchor Keeping us focused on the observable reality (i.e. what) rather than the present and what might be. One way to expand on this question is to use the Five Senses Technique (FST). To do this, you need to identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and things you can taste. Taking the time to address this will help ground you in the present, which is (hopefully) less threatening than the present moment. fear or a threat that you previously focused on. This will reduce the intensity of the threat and help calm your body.
- What do I control? Asking yourself this question is a great way to shift your focus to what is manageable and within your control. It could be deciding to turn off the news or taking steps to improve your financial situation to plan for a possible downturn in the economy. It might not even be a snack, but choosing to eat a healthy meal or go for a walk instead of scrolling through your phone. Whatever you choose to do, the choices you make for yourself help build your sense of personal agency. In other words, you are choosing to control the things in your power, and in doing so, you are focusing less on the things you cannot control.
When the world is scary, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. None of us know what lies ahead, but having the ability to ground yourself when things are uncertain can help you focus on the here and now, empower yourself, and feel prepared for whatever comes next. As Wayne Dyer said, “I can’t always control what’s on the outside. But I can always control what’s on the inside.”
