It is 1:40 a.m. and you are rewriting a reply you will regret. Or you are parked two streets from the handoff with your hands too tight on the wheel. Grounding pulls you out of the spiral and into the present long enough to choose.
Use your senses. Five things you see. Four you can touch. Three you hear. Two you smell. One you taste. Basic on purpose. A simple sensory exercise may help you refocus. Choose something else if it feels uncomfortable.
Breath without a performance. Inhale. Longer exhale. A few rounds. Keep your breathing gentle and comfortable. Stop if you feel dizzy or uncomfortable; a breathing exercise is an option, not a requirement.
Some people find familiar sensations helpful. Cool water on wrists. A warm mug. Thirty seconds of outside air.
Gentle movement is another option if it is comfortable for you. Hallway walk. Shoulder roll. Feet pressed into the floor like you mean it.
Pair grounding with one next action. Not "feel better forever." Just "send the shorter reply" or "get the backpack to the door." Grounding is a bridge.
Teach a kid-sized version after rough transitions. Blow on pizza. Squeeze a pillow. Find three colors out the window. Shared language for hard feelings beats lectures.
Practice when you are only a little stressed. Skills stick better that way. Keep a cue where stress actually happens: in the car before pickup, next to your phone.