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5 Exercises You Can Practice to Ground Yourself

Explore practical online exercises and interventions designed to help you manage stress, understand emotions, and support your daily mental health practice.
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In our fast-paced world, taking care of our mental health can feel overwhelming. That’s where these exercises come in - they’re simple, practical tools you can use anytime, anywhere, right from your device. No complicated techniques or special skills needed, just a few minutes of your time and an open mind.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through five online exercises that can help you find your center, quiet your mind, and better understand your emotions. Think of them as your personal toolkit for mental wellness.

Why do mental health therapists suggest mental health exercises?

Think of mental health exercises as “daily nudges” for your mind. Regular practice can make a real difference in how you feel and function. These exercises help you:

  • Ease Stress and Anxiety: Simple techniques like breathing exercises and grounding can help calm your mind and body.
  • Handle Emotions Better: Learn to recognize and work with your feelings in healthy ways.
  • Know Yourself Better: These exercises help you understand your thoughts and feelings more clearly.
  • Stay Focused: Practice being present and mindful in your daily life.
  • Find Calm: Release built-up tension in both body and mind.

Explore Our Growing Library of Exercises:

Browse through a variety of practical, therapist-approved exercises—all accessible directly in your browser. Whether you’re looking to relax, reflect, or refocus, you’ll find tools here to support your mental wellbeing.

Online Interactive Feeling Wheel | Image

Online Interactive Feeling Wheel

Stuck with the question: “How am I feeling?” This is a simple tool to help you explore and build awareness about your feelings in this moment.

1. Identify Your Feelings: The Interactive Feeling Wheel

Understanding your emotions is the first step to managing them well. The Interactive Feeling Wheel is like having an emotional GPS - it helps you pinpoint exactly what you’re feeling. By exploring different emotions, you’ll get better at recognizing and understanding your feelings, making it easier to work through them.

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Online Box Breathing Exercise | Image

Online Box Breathing Exercise

A simple breathing exercise to find your calm, at a pace that's personal to you.

2. Regulate Your Breath: Try the Box Breathing Exercise

Your breath is one of the most powerful tools you have for managing stress. The Box Breathing Exercise is like a natural reset button for your nervous system. It’s simple: breathe in for four counts, hold for four, breathe out for four, and hold for four. This rhythmic pattern helps calm your body’s stress response and brings your mind into focus. Our online guide makes it easy to learn and practice.

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5-4-3-2-1 Online Grounding Exercise | Image

Online 54321 Grounding Exercise

Manage stress and connect to the present with this simple grounding exercise.

3. Anchor Yourself: Use the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

When anxiety or overwhelm hits, the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise is like throwing an anchor to steady yourself. It’s a simple but powerful way to bring yourself back to the present moment by engaging your senses. You’ll identify:

  • 5 things you can see
  • 4 things you can feel
  • 3 things you can hear
  • 2 things you can smell
  • 1 thing you can (or remember) tasting

This quick exercise can help break the cycle of anxious thoughts and bring you back to the here and now.

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Online Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise | Image

Online Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) Exercise

Reduce physical tension and mental stress with this guided relaxation technique.

4. Release Tension: Practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation Online

When stress builds up, it often shows up in our bodies as tension. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is like giving your muscles a mini-vacation. You’ll learn to tense and release different muscle groups, helping you become more aware of where you hold tension and how to let it go. The result? A calmer body and a clearer mind.

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Circle of Influence CBT Grounding Exercise | Image

Circle of Influence CBT Grounding Exercise

Learn to focus your energy effectively by understanding what you can control, influence, or need to accept using this CBT grounding technique.

5. Focus on What Matters: The Circle of Influence Exercise

The Circle of Influence exercise helps you distinguish between what you can control and what you can’t. It’s like having a mental map that shows you where to direct your energy. By identifying what’s within your control, you can focus your efforts more effectively and reduce stress about things you can’t change.

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No Apps, No PDFs, No Videos. Our Exercises Only Use Thoughtful Design.

Most mental health exercises online ask you to download an app, print a PDF, or watch a long video. We wanted to do things differently.

By working closely with therapists, we’ve reimagined these exercises from the ground up—making them interactive, engaging, and available entirely within your browser.

No downloads, no installations, just simple, effective support whenever you need it, within any web browser.

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