From the College Counsellor

What is sensory grounding?

Welcome back to term 2!! I hope you all had a good break.

As the school year progresses, I have noticed that some students’ anxiety levels are increasing and many girls and their parents are unaware of helpful strategies to manage the symptoms. Anxiety manifests when we are worried about the future or rethinking about the past, and can feel like they are reliving the memory/worry. In my experience I have found that grounding exercises are very helpful for young people to reconnect them to the present moment.

So, what is sensory grounding? It is an exercise that can promote mindfulness and awareness through focusing on the sensory experience (www.calltomind.com.au). The aim of the exercise is to aid the individual to connect their body to their environment which creates a sense of feeling present in the moment.

For example, your daughter becomes overwhelmed or distracted in class after a teacher has set a task of presenting a speech to the class. In that moment she is caught up in strong emotions of anxiety and worry and engages in circular thoughts of failure and past experiences of speeches. It is possible that the girl will start to experience symptoms of anxiety such as a pounding heart, sweaty palms, rapid breathing. Grounding exercises can help your daughter bring herself back into the classroom and short circuit her cycling thoughts and worries.

In order to practice sensory grounding, it is helpful to have a toolkit selection of grounding exercises that one can use at different times. It will be a process of trial and error to find what works for you. One technique that most people find helpful is the 5-4-3-2-1. Using your senses, notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. You may need to complete the sequence a few times in order to bring yourself back to the present moment.

It is advised to have a discussion with your daughter around her sensory preference, meaning what sense does she prefer to self-regulate. For example, if touch is her preferred sense, finding objects such as play dough, kinetic sand, fidget toys that she can access when she is feeling those anxiety symptoms creep up. You can find more information about sensory grounding here: https://calltomind.com.au/2021/03/23/grounding-exercises-and-sensory-techniques/

If you wish to discuss the above or have any concerns about your daughter, please feel free to contact the College Counsellor, Monica Rogenmoser via monica.rogenmoser@syd.catholic.edu.au or ph: 0435 659 694