Grounding Techniques to Help with Relaxation

When Aortic Anxiety Takes Over: Using Your Five Senses to Find Your Ground

~(Inspired by Katie Moran, LMT)

Living with aortic disease can sometimes make it difficult to quiet your mind.

Maybe you're waiting for your next CT scan. Perhaps you noticed a new sensation in your chest or back. Your blood pressure was higher than usual. An upcoming appointment is on your mind. Or maybe nothing happened at all—you simply started thinking, "What if?"

For people who have experienced an aortic dissection, major surgery or another frightening medical event, those thoughts can quickly bring the body into a state of high alert.

One simple technique that may help during moments of stress or anxiety is grounding through your five senses.

Grounding doesn't make a medical problem disappear, and it should never be used to ignore new or concerning symptoms. Instead, grounding is a way of helping your brain shift its attention away from frightening thoughts about what might happen and toward what is actually happening right now.

Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Technique

When you notice yourself becoming overwhelmed, stop for a moment. Take a comfortable breath and begin noticing your surroundings.

👁️ 5 things you can SEE

Look around you. Maybe it's a picture on the wall, a tree outside the window, your hands, a book or the pattern on a blanket.

Really look at each one.

👂 4 things you can HEAR

Listen carefully. Perhaps you hear birds, music, voices, a fan, traffic or the sound of your own breathing.

You don't have to change the sounds. Simply notice them.

👃 3 things you can SMELL

Notice the scents around you. Coffee, soap, fresh air, a candle, a flower or your favorite lotion may be nearby.

If you can't immediately identify three smells, that's okay. The goal isn't perfection—it's simply focusing your attention.

👅 2 things you can TASTE

Take a sip of water or tea, chew a piece of gum, or simply notice the taste already in your mouth.

Pay attention to the flavor and sensation rather than rushing past it.

✋ 1 thing you can FEEL

Notice something physical in the present moment.

Feel your feet against the floor, your body supported by the chair, a soft blanket in your hands, or the temperature of the air against your skin.

Then remind yourself:

I am here. I am in this moment.

Why Can Something So Simple Help?

When we're anxious, our attention often moves into the future.

What if something happens?What if my scan has changed?What if this sensation means something is wrong?

Your five senses exist in the present.

By deliberately noticing what you can see, hear, smell, taste and touch, you give your brain something concrete to focus on instead of continuing down a spiral of frightening possibilities.

It doesn't mean your concerns aren't important.

It simply gives you an opportunity to settle your mind before deciding what you need to do next.

Grounding Is a Tool, Not a Medical Test

This distinction is especially important in the aortic community.

Grounding should never be used to determine whether a symptom is anxiety or an aortic emergency.

If you experience sudden or severe symptoms, symptoms that are unusual for you, or symptoms your healthcare team has told you require immediate evaluation, seek appropriate medical care.

But when you recognize that you're caught in a cycle of worry, scanxiety or stress, grounding may be one tool you can keep in your emotional toolbox.

You can do it almost anywhere—in a waiting room, before a scan, at home, in the car before an appointment or when your thoughts simply won't slow down.

And you don't have to wait until anxiety becomes overwhelming to practice it. Using grounding when you're already calm can make the technique feel more familiar when you really need it.

At Aortic Hope, we talk frequently about caring for our hearts and our aortas.

We also need to talk about caring for the person living with them.

Pause. Breathe. Be here.

One thing you can see. One thing you can hear. One moment at a time.

Grounded today. Stronger tomorrow. ❤️

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