How do I stay grounded in reality?

It’s difficult to trust your thoughts, feelings, or beliefs if you don’t believe that they are rooted in reality. Sometimes the thoughts or beliefs in our mind become all-consuming. They make us feel paranoid, extreme worry, or fear. Or they make us question if we or the people, places, and things around us are real. We feel and believe so intensely that we may believe that what we are experiencing is real. Even if it isn’t. And not knowing what’s real and what’s not can make you feel frustrated, isolated, or hopeless.

These experiences are common in people who are experiencing early stages of psychosis—which can be a mental health symptom for depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental health conditions. If you start to feel this way, then there are things that you can do to help you stay grounded in reality.

Think about your experiences

Many conditions can make us question if we are grounded in reality. For example, thinking traps and negative thoughts experienced with depression can make us question our thoughts. Anxiety can keep us locked in a loop in our own heads. And experiencing trauma can cause us to disconnect from what we are currently experiencing.

Psychosis and delusions

Not feeling grounded in reality is a common experience for people in the early stages of psychosis. They experience delusions. Delusions are strong beliefs that are disconnected from reality. [1] There is evidence to prove that these thoughts and beliefs are not real, but for someone experiencing them, they feel very real.

There are different types of delusions. Here are some examples of delusions that people with symptoms of psychosis may experience: [1]

• Believing that someone—like a celebrity–is in love with you
• Believing that your significant other is unfaithful despite evidence otherwise
• Having an inflated sense of self-worth, talent, power, or knowledge
• Believing that people or forces are conspiring against you and they will attack, harass, poison, or stop you from achieving your goals
• Believing that you are a god or that you have been chosen to act as a god
• Believing in a phenomenon that is not impossible, not understandable, and not related to normal life
• Believing that you have bodily functions and experiences that you do not exist in normal, everyday life
• Believing that someone else is controlling your feelings, actions, impulses, etc.
• Believing that your thoughts are being projected outside of your mind and others can hear them
• Believing that someone else’s mind was inserted into yours or that your thoughts are being deleted
• Believing that you are dead or don’t exist
• Believing that there are parasites within your skin, with no evidence to support this
• Believing that a familiar person or place has been switched with a look-alike

If any of the experiences above are similar to your own, then it may be a good idea to take our psychosis test. It’s free, confidential, and it can affirm your experiences and help you figure out your next steps.

What you can do to stay grounded

Being grounded in reality means to be aware of our surroundings and to know the difference between what is real and what is not real. It means living in the present moment. When you are unable to tell the difference between a hallucination or just a passing thought, it’s difficult to perform day-to-day activities with a clear mind. Grounding techniques can bring you back to reality for a better quality of life.

Here are some things that you can do to keep you grounded in reality:

• Get plenty of sleep and keep a schedule. Sleep deprivation can make it almost impossible to stay grounded in reality and will cause your brain to play tricks on you. Do your best to keep a schedule by going to bed at a decent time and waking up in the morning to start your day. Adequate rest is one of the keys to good mental health.
• Get in touch with your surroundings. Observe what is around you. Feel the ground with your feet. Touch the wall. Pick up small objects while observing their detail. You can also take a warm bath and add oils you enjoy smelling. Or, have something to eat or a warm drink to get in touch with your sense of taste. The objective here is to show yourself what is happening around you. [2]
• Practice meditation and deep breathing. Meditation is a way to clear the mind and concentrate on what is happening in the present. It can help you observe your thoughts and separate yourself from the thoughts in your head.
• Move your body. Physical activity like exercise, stretching, dancing, etc., puts us in tune with our bodies, so we feel more connected to our bodies. It can pull you away from a feeling of fear and give you positive emotions.
• Be mindful of what you put in your body. Your mind and body are connected to the experiences that you have, and the food you eat or the substances you use may make you feel more or less connected to reality.
• Make a friend or loved one a “reality tester.” Ask those closest to you if they hear or see the same things you do.  By having someone you trust to be a reality tester, you will be able to discuss what you are feeling and distinguish reality from imagination.

There are many things you can do on your own to stay grounded. It’s ok to ask for help and talk about what you’re experiencing so you can have a way to better manage your symptoms. Try the tips that will work best for you and will bring you the most enjoyment!

Show References