Connecting With the Body

I grieve not only for the losses of the present but also for what could have been. If I stay too long in my head imagining the things I won’t ever have, I can lose myself in a spiral downward. When I feel that disconnect I cope by connecting my body and mind to each other again, that is, grounding myself in the present moment.

The most effective strategies for me include:

• Experiencing a different temperature. An ice cube on the wrist or a gulp of a warm beverage.
• Experimenting with pressure. A weighted blanket, a stack of blankets, or a firm squeeze.
• Touching and comparing textures. A bumpy wall, a rough carpet, squeaky glass, a soft animal.