Mental Wellness for Blood Cancer Patients: Grounding Technique

People living with blood cancer may be overwhelmed by many difficult emotions related to the cancer diagnosis, treatment, or just everyday life. These emotions can often pull us out of the present moment, immersing us in past memories or future anxieties, and creating feelings of detachment and disconnection from our current environment. 

To navigate these challenging emotions, the grounding technique offers an effective way to re-anchor oneself in the "here and now." This helps pull us out of spirals of overwhelming emotion and return to the present. 

The key to successfully implementing grounding is awareness. The first step is to recognize when we have mentally checked out. Once we identify that we are detached from the present, often as a defense mechanism against painful realities, we can choose to ground ourselves. 

A Four-Step Grounding Technique

1. Visual Connection
   • Begin by focusing on your surroundings. Take in the details - the color, shape, and position of objects around you. Spend about 5 minutes on this step. For example, one might observe, "The white curtains in front of me are swaying gently with the breeze, revealing a blue sky outside. My drink cup to my left has steam floating from it."
2. Mindful Breathing
   • Shift your attention to your breathing. Feel the gentle ebb and flow of your breath. Aim to spend about five minutes on this, breathing deeply and slowly at first in through the nose and out through the mouth, then transitioning to your natural rhythm. 
3. Physical Awareness
   • Turn your focus to your body's sensations. Feel the weight of your body on the chair, the touch of your feet on the floor, and any tension or relaxation in other areas of your body. Spend about five minutes on this step.
4. Engage Other Senses
   • Finally, tap into your other senses. What scents do you smell? What sounds, near or far, do you hear? Spend about five minutes on this step.  

Once patients practice the above grounding technique until it becomes a familiar habit, they will have a valuable emotional resilience tool to draw upon when depression or anxiety tries to pull them out of the present moment. Help stop emotional spirals and protect your mental well-being. You are welcome to shorten or lengthen the amount of time for each step as you see fit. 

If you need further help supporting your emotional well-being, it is recommended that you contact a licensed mental health counselor who can provide you with more resources. We encourage you to take the needed steps to improve your mental health and quality of life. 

Continue Reading Blood Cancer News

Source: 

• DBT: Dialectical Behavior Therapy