Dropping the Anchor
A grounding exercise for when emotions feel intense, or your thoughts have pulled you out of the present.
The metaphor. Think of a ship dropping anchor in a storm. The anchor doesn't stop the storm, or make the waves disappear. It simply holds the ship steady until the storm passes. This exercise works the same way: it won't make difficult feelings disappear, and it isn't meant to. It helps you stay grounded while they're here.
It follows three steps, easy to remember as ACE.
Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings
Notice whatever is present in your mind right now. You might find racing thoughts, intense emotions, or a general sense of discomfort.
Try silently naming it: "Right now, I'm feeling…"
Come back into your body
Bring your attention back to your physical self. Feel where your body meets the ground or the chair beneath you.
- Feel your feet firmly on the floor
- Move your toes inside your shoes
- Notice the weight of your body, and how it's being supported
Engage in what you're doing
Widen your attention back out to the world around you. Look around and notice five things you can see, taking in colours, shapes and details. Then gently return to whatever you were doing.
You can move through ACE in thirty seconds, or stretch it out over several minutes. It works just as well quietly, in a room full of people, as it does alone.
Dr Russ Harris, who developed this Acceptance and Commitment Therapy exercise, walks through it here, or watch on YouTube if it doesn't load.
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