W hen emotions grow too loud, our minds look for something quiet to hold onto — not an escape, but an anchor.
Psychologists call this process grounding. It is a simple, evidence-supported way to help calm the nervous system by shifting attention from overwhelm back to the present moment. It doesn’t solve everything, but it gives us a place to stand.
A small object can become that place.
Not because it changes your emotions, but because it offers your senses something steady to focus on while your feelings rise, peak, and soften — as emotions naturally do when we stop fighting them.
Here are a few ways small objects can function as anchors:
-
Let emotions pass through instead of resisting them.
When you feel overwhelmed, hold an object with a clear texture, shape, or weight. Notice its temperature, surface, and edges. This sensory focus activates the body’s regulation systems and signals safety to the brain, allowing emotions to complete their natural cycle instead of getting stuck in resistance. -
Create emotional boundaries — a key idea in Adlerian psychology.
Alfred Adler’s theory, later popularized in the bestseller The Courage to Be Disliked, emphasizes separating “what is my task” from “what belongs to others.” Holding a small object can be a physical reminder of this boundary — a gentle way to remember where you end and the world begins, and that not every feeling in the room is yours to carry. -
Shift from rumination to sensation.
Overthinking loops are fueled by mental attention. Touch can interrupt them. Run your thumb along the surface. Trace the outline. Feel for small irregularities. Sensation pulls you out of the cognitive spiral and back into your body, without forcing yourself to “think positive” or “stop feeling.” -
Return to your inner corner.
Close your hand around the object and let it represent a private mental space — your own inner corner. A place you return to when you need to breathe, reset, or begin again. As your hand softens, your breath often follows. The world does not disappear, but it grows quieter around the edges.
Anchoring is not about escaping life. It is about giving your nervous system enough steadiness to meet life with clarity instead of overwhelm.
And sometimes, that steadiness begins with something very small — something you choose to carry.