Trauma & EMDR · High Thrive Counseling

Grounding Techniques for Dissociation: 8 Ways to Feel More Present

Feeling foggy, far away, or disconnected? Start with one manageable way to reconnect with the moment you’re in.

By Jenny Staats, LMSW
High Thrive Counseling · Indianapolis

Feeling disconnected can be difficult to describe. Grounding offers a way to reconnect with the present moment.

You’re here. It just may not feel that way.

When being present feels surprisingly difficult

You’re in the room, but you don’t quite feel in the room. Everything seems foggy or far away. Someone is talking, and following the conversation takes more effort than you expected.

Experiences like these can occur with dissociation, although other things can cause similar symptoms.

Grounding techniques for dissociation are practical ways to direct your attention toward what is happening around you now. They may help you feel more connected to the present. Different people need different approaches.

My suggestion? Start small. You do not need to master eight exercises today.

Understanding the experience

What is dissociation?

Dissociation involves a disruption in your usual sense of connection with yourself, your surroundings, or your memories. It can show up in different ways.[1]

Depersonalization: Feeling detached from your body, emotions, or actions.
Derealization: Familiar surroundings seem dreamlike, distant, or unreal.
Memory disruption: Gaps in recall that go beyond ordinary forgetfulness.

These descriptions can help you explain what’s happening. They cannot diagnose the cause.

Surreal collage of overlapping faces and facial features in pink and red tones. — Conceptual artwork exploring the feeling of disconnection.

Occasionally getting absorbed in a book is different from repeatedly losing time or struggling to function. Dissociation also does not automatically mean you have dissociative identity disorder.

For some people, disconnection develops around overwhelming experiences. It can be involuntary. Blaming yourself for it adds another difficult thing to carry.[2]

Feeling unreal or detached can also occur with panic, exhaustion, substance use, or medical conditions. New or recurring symptoms deserve attention and a fuller understanding of the cause.[3]

A practical point of contact

What can grounding actually do?

Grounding gives you something concrete to notice: an object, a sound, a small movement, or a factual reminder.

The aim is to become a little more oriented and able to choose your next step. That may happen before you feel fully calm.

Grounding is commonly used in clinical care, but research testing specific techniques for dissociation remains limited. There is no established exercise that reliably works for everyone, and grounding alone does not treat every underlying cause.[4]

Think of these options as a menu. You’re allowed to skip things on the menu.

Choose one. Keep it manageable.

8 grounding techniques for dissociation

Try a gentle option and notice whether it helps you reconnect. If something increases distress, stop and change the approach.

1. Describe one object in the room

Choose something neutral and easy to see. Give it your attention long enough to notice a few details.

“The lamp is white. Its shade is round. The cord runs behind the table.”

You’re giving yourself a small, concrete task. There is no prize for finding the most interesting lamp.

Make it fit: If vision is unavailable or uncomfortable, describe a nearby sound or a familiar object you can comfortably touch.

2. Try 5-4-3-2-1, with permission to simplify

This common exercise gives your senses a simple sequence to follow.[6]

5See

Notice five things around you.

4Feel

Notice four comfortable points of touch.

3Hear

Notice three sounds nearby.

2Smell

Notice two scents, if comfortable.

1Taste

Notice a taste, or sip water if comfortable.

You can skip a sense that’s unavailable or unpleasant. If the whole sequence feels like too much, notice just one thing.

The numbers are a memory aid, not an assignment you have to finish.

3. Hold a familiar object

Try a smooth key ring, soft fabric, or a comfortably cool water bottle. Notice its edges, weight, or texture.

Sensory grounding is one approach clinicians use for depersonalization and derealization.[3]

Keep it gentle: Skip prolonged bare-ice holding, extreme temperatures, painful pressure, or anything that leaves your skin numb.

4. Notice where you’re supported

If body sensations feel manageable, notice one point of contact: your back against the chair, hands on the desk, or feet supported beneath you.

Stay with that one point briefly. You don’t need to scan your entire body.

Make it fit: If body awareness feels uncomfortable, return to an object or sound outside yourself.

5. Add a small movement

Try opening and closing your hands, gently moving your shoulders, or pressing and releasing your feet against a stable surface.

Choose a movement that fits your mobility and feels steady. It can be barely noticeable.

Keep it steady: If you’re dizzy or unsteady, stay seated.

6. Give your attention a simple task

Read a nearby label aloud. Name a few colors. Count the corners of objects you can see.

Pick something easy enough to follow. This is a perfectly reasonable time to leave complicated arithmetic out of the conversation.

Make it fit: An easy task is enough. You don’t need to challenge yourself.

7. Use a present-day reminder

Keep a short note on your phone or a card:

“My name is ____. Today is ____. I am at ____. The next thing I can do is ____.”

Keep it factual: Fill in current information. Your next step can be as small as sitting down or calling a support person.

8. Ask for specific support

Tell a trusted person what would help:

“I’m feeling disconnected. Could you sit nearby and speak slowly while I get oriented?”

You can also say: “Please help me notice where we are. I don’t need questions about what happened right now.”

These examples draw on commonly used sensory, physical, and mental grounding approaches.[5] Present-day reminders and trusted support also appear in VA guidance for flashbacks. Flashbacks and dissociation can overlap, but they are not interchangeable terms.[7]

The exercise can change

What if grounding makes me feel worse?

Stop that exercise. You can try something simpler or ask for support.

Closing your eyes, focusing on breathing, or paying close attention to body sensations can increase distress for some people. VA guidance recognizes that inward-focused relaxation can be difficult for some trauma survivors.[7]

If this is uncomfortableClosing your eyes

You could tryLooking at a familiar object with your eyes open

If this is uncomfortableFocusing on your breathing

You could tryReading a short sentence aloud

If this is uncomfortableA strong smell or taste

You could tryA neutral object without scent

If this is uncomfortableSeveral instructions

You could tryOne cue at a time

If this is uncomfortableStanding or walking

You could tryA supported seated position

You’re allowed to pause.

You don’t need to keep increasing the intensity. Tell your therapist what happened, including what made the experience worse.

A little preparation can help

Make a grounding plan before you need one

When you feel relatively settled, choose two or three options to practice. Keep it short and manageable.[10]

Your plan, in five lines

Copy these prompts into a phone note and fill them in when you feel ready.

An early sign I sometimes notice

For example: following a conversation becomes difficult.

A first exercise I want to try

For example: look at one object and describe its details.

An alternative if that feels uncomfortable

For example: listen to a familiar person speak.

Someone I can ask for support

Write their name and how to reach them.

How I will make the situation physically safer

For example: pause the task, sit down, or arrange a ride.

You do not have to identify every trigger before you deserve support. If you jot down a pattern later, keep it brief and factual. You don’t need to force yourself to reconstruct missing memories.

Person appearing to float above the floor in the doorway of a dim, weathered room. — A symbolic portrayal of feeling disconnected from your body or surroundings.

For partners, friends & family

How to help someone who is dissociating

If a loved one has told you they experience dissociation, ask them when they feel well what support they prefer.

Offer one gentle prompt, then give them time.
Ask before touching them or moving closer.
Let explanations and difficult conversations wait.

“I’m here. Would you like some space, or would it help if I stayed nearby?”

These are suggestions for respectful support. Sudden unfamiliar confusion or unresponsiveness needs medical attention.

You can ask for more help

When grounding is not enough

Arrange an assessment

Reach out if disconnection is recurring, frightening, affecting daily life, or accompanied by memory gaps. A clinician can consider mental health and medical explanations.[1]

If you feel too disconnected to drive or use equipment safely, pause those activities and arrange help.

Get urgent help when needed

Sudden unexplained confusion, loss of consciousness, a seizure, or new neurological symptoms need urgent medical attention.[9]

In the U.S., call 911 for an immediate emergency. For suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, call or text 988.

Can therapy help with dissociation?

Therapy can help you understand your symptoms, develop a workable response, and address contributing difficulties. Treatment should fit your history, current needs, and assessment.

When PTSD is involved, trauma-focused treatments such as EMDR may be considered. EMDR’s evidence for PTSD does not mean it is automatically the right treatment for every dissociative symptom or disorder.[8]

Tell a prospective therapist about losing time, feeling unreal, or becoming disconnected during sessions. Ask about their experience assessing dissociation and adapting treatment. Some people need a clinician with specialized dissociation expertise.

Learn about trauma therapy and EMDR in Indianapolis

A few things people wonder

Questions about grounding and dissociation

What is the best grounding technique for dissociation?

There is no single established best technique. Start with a manageable option, such as describing a nearby object, and notice whether it helps you orient. Stop or adapt anything that increases distress.

Can grounding stop dissociation immediately?

Sometimes people notice a shift quickly; others need more support. No technique guarantees immediate relief. Recurrent or disruptive symptoms deserve assessment even if an exercise helps temporarily.

Should I take deep breaths when I dissociate?

Breathing exercises help some people, but focusing on breathing can feel uncomfortable for others. Let your breathing remain easy rather than forcing large breaths. If attention to breathing makes things worse, try an external cue and discuss it with your therapist.

Does dissociation always mean I have trauma or DID?

No. Dissociative experiences do not establish a particular cause or diagnosis. Trauma is one possible contributor; a fuller assessment considers other explanations too.

Can I ground myself discreetly at work?

You can try reading the date, looking closely at an object on your desk, or noticing a comfortable point of contact with your chair. If continuing to work is unsafe or symptoms persist, ask for help and take a break.

Start with a conversation

Trauma therapy in Indianapolis and online in Indiana and Florida

At High Thrive Counseling, we offer trauma therapy and EMDR at our Broad Ripple office, serving Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers, Zionsville, Brownsburg, and surrounding communities.

If feeling disconnected is interfering with your life, we can talk about what you’re noticing and whether our services fit your needs.

Schedule a Free 15-Minute Consultation

Online availability in Indiana and Florida depends on therapist licensure and clinical fit. Our physical office is in Indianapolis.