When I first got clean, I thought not using was all there was to it. Mission accomplished. Maybe I’d get a gold star or something. Mental health and emotional regulation weren’t even on my radar. That came later. Much later. Like over a decade later after things in my life were much messier.

Turns out, quitting cocaine was only the beginning. What I needed after that, what a lot of us need, is emotional sobriety. The cool thing is, emotional sobriety and mental health aren’t just related, they’re like siblings who split the rent on your sanity.

Last year, I shared my first post about grounding tools and a lot of you told me how helpful it was. So here I am with the sequel. Think of this as the next level. It’s a mix of creative, sensory, and body-based techniques to help you stay present, especially when triggers or anxiety are trying to take over.

Grounding tools are powerful. They’re not about “fixing” how you feel but about giving your mind and body a safe place when things feel like they’re out of control. These techniques engage your senses and gently guide you back into the present moment.

Let’s dive into some practical, easy-to-use grounding techniques that you can keep in your recovery and healing toolkit.

If you listen to my podcast or are visiting from Facebook, you know I love my grounding exercises. It's because they're such a great way to get into the present moment and stop triggers, spiraling negative thoughts, and anxiety dead in its tracks. I mean, how cool is that?

Here are some of my favorites. You may know some, but I'll bet others you haven't heard of, and I loved to use them, especially when I was going through betrayal trauma.

We'll start with the easiest one: