6 Powerful Ways to Return to Yourself When Life Gets Away From You

by: Joyce Erickson, BetterYou.coach

Your Presence Reset

Are you feeling scattered, overwhelmed, or stuck in your head?

Maybe your thoughts are racing—replaying the past or fast-forwarding into “what if” scenarios. If so, you’re not alone—and you’re in the right place.

I’ve been there too. As someone who’s walked through anxiety and learned how to anchor myself through it, I want to share what truly helped me return to the present. These are practical, body-based tools I use when I feel disconnected or anxious.

Here are 6 simple but powerful presence reset tools you can use anytime, anywhere.

1. Tap and Touch: Wake Up Your Body

Want to go deeper with this practice? Reach out to me and we can explore Tapping for Anxiety: What It Is and How It Works.

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2. Move Your Body, Shift Your State

Movement shifts your focus and gets you out of mental loops.

Stand up. Walk through a doorway. Change rooms. Place your phone down and step outside if you can. A simple interruption can reset your emotional state.

👉 Bonus: If you vocalize what you’re doing, it helps to bring awareness and presence even faster plus it doesn’t let you spiral in negative self-talk.

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3. Use Your Senses: Listen and Locate

Presence lives in your senses.

Next time you feel overwhelmed, close your eyes and notice:
👂 What do you hear?
👃 What can you smell?
👣 What are your feet touching right now, what about other body parts?

I love doing this at the lake—listening to birds, waves, or feeling the breeze. But you can do it anywhere. Your body always lives in the now.

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4. Ask Grounding Questions

Redirect worry by asking grounding questions like:

• “Is this mine to carry?”
• “What’s true right now?”
• “What’s within my control?”

These questions help separate you from spirals of thought that don’t serve you. This approach is based on cognitive behavioral principles and is deeply empowering.

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5. Name 5 Things (Use Color!)

Look around you. Identify and name five items—bonus points if you include color:

🟧 “Orange car.”
🔵 “Blue sweater.”
💛 “Yellow water bottle.”

This is a go-to trick of mine. Actually, I always keep a bright water bottle on hand. It acts like a “presence anchor” when I need to ground myself quickly.

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6. Breathe With Intention (Audibly)

Breathe from your belly and exhale with sound. Really let it out.

🌬️ Inhale… and sigh.
Lift your chest. Tilt your chin. Open your heart center, expand your lungs and wake up your body.

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Presence Isn’t Perfection. It’s a Practice.

You don’t need to get this perfect. Just pick one tool and try it. Then notice what shifts.

Quick Recap: 6 Presence Reset Tools

• ✅ Tap & Touch
• ✅ Move your body
• ✅ Use your senses
• ✅ Ask grounding questions
• ✅ Name 5 things you see (bonus: color!)
• ✅ Breathe with a sigh

💬 Which of these 6 techniques speaks to you most? Leave a comment, or connect with me directly on my BetterYou.coach profile.

Until next time.

Keep smiling,😊
Coach Joyce