How to Anchor Yourself In The Unknown
A simple practice to stay grounded, regulate your nervous system, and return to yourself amidst changes within you and around you.
When life feels chaotic, unclear, or emotionally overwhelming, it’s easy to spin out or disconnect. That’s when you need an anchor—a grounding tool that helps you come back to yourself when everything around you feels in flux.
An anchor is a simple, intentional way to reconnect with something stabilizing as your focal point. It helps regulate your nervous system, restore trust in yourself, and ground you during times when the ground is shifting.
You don’t need to wait for calm to arrive in order to feel grounded.
You can create your own ground.
That’s what anchoring helps you do.
What Is an Anchor?
An anchor is anything that brings you back to the present moment—your body, your breath, your reality.
It’s not a solution or a fix.
It’s a practice. A way to pause and come back to yourself when you’re moving through identity shifts, emotional intensity, or uncertain transitions.
Anchors are especially helpful during times of change, when the nervous system is activated and the future feels unclear.
From a nervous system regulation lens, anchoring interrupts the stress loop.
From a personal growth lens, it builds self-trust.
Examples of Anchors
Anchors can be physical, verbal, energetic, or somatic. Choose something that feels honest and simple enough to return to when things are loud.
Physical object:
A stone, necklace, piece of fabric, or crystal you carry as a tactile reminder of presencePhrase or mantra:
“I am here.”
“This is temporary.”
“I don’t need to know right now.”
“One breath at a time.”
”I am finding my path.”Movement or ritual:
Taking three deep breaths
Placing your hand on your chest
Drinking a glass of water slowly
Lighting a candle at the end of the dayPlace or environment:
Sitting under a tree
Journaling in the same corner each morning
Standing barefoot on the ground
Playing a song that calms your energy
These are small acts of self-regulation—simple but powerful ways to ground yourself through a life transition.
photo by Greg Fulks (@fulks)
When to Use Your Anchor
You can return to your anchor any time you feel:
Emotionally overwhelmed
Numb or disconnected from your body
Caught in looping thoughts or inner noise
Like you’re reacting instead of choosing
Overstimulated by people or input
On the edge of an old belief or fear
When time feels like it is slowing or spinning
Distant from your sense of self
Anchoring is part of how we build emotional resilience.
When you return to your anchor, you’re telling your system:
“I am safe. I am here. I don’t have to abandon myself to survive this.”
Choosing Your Anchor
Ask yourself:
What helps me feel safe in my own presence?
What reminds me who I am when everything feels uncertain?
What’s a small practice I can return to every day?
This is how you build your own toolkit for uncertainty.
You don’t need to get it perfect. You just need to find one steady point to focus on while you regain your balance.
Anchoring is one of the core practices we use in the PIVOT writing journey. It’s part of how we write through change—not by rushing answers, but by slowing down enough to meet ourselves in the unknown.
You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need a way to stay connected as the waves wash over you.
That’s what an anchor is. Choose yours.
Return often.