grounding

I've heard lots of people talking about grounding themselves.

what does that mean?

Grounding is about learning to stay present ( or for some get present in the first place) in your body in the here and now. Basically it consists of a set of skills/tools to help you manage dissociation and the overwhelming trauma-related emotions that lead to it.
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For me I use all 5 senses to bring me back after my mind "drifts". I feel like I am in a dream like state and sometimes it leads to total disassociation when I am under stress. I keep an orange in my freezer. I hold it, smell it, see it, it reminds me that I am here and not back in the trauma place.

I am sure others can explain it much better.

My T taught me the following method of grounding myself when my mind starts whirring around uncontrollably: sit with your feet on the floor and close your eyes and go down into your body checking in with and being aware of each part as you go. All the way down to the soles of your feet. The first time I did it in her office I was like "HEY! You're trying to make me calm down! And it's working!" It is a wonderful method (for me anyway) that I continue to use.

different therapist had different technique for me. The 2 that I liked the best were :
1 - say out loud the date, the place i am, what i am wearing, the time, my name and age, i am safe, ... and repeat those fact about me and my surrounding over and over and over until I feel connected to the reality.
2- this second technique uses 3 of the 5 senses. I name 5 things i can see, 5 that i can touch and five that i can hear. After I name 4 that i can see.... when done with 4, I do 3 of each, 2 of each and 1. I often have to repeat some. I remember once my therapist ask me to name 5 things i see, I told her name five time! I guess I couldn't see anything else.

carla.cdt i like the two techniques you posted. i hope you do not mind if i try them too.

go ahead bmee2... i hope they can help.
take care

Mine reminds me to breathe because I'm a bit of a breath holder when I'm anxious, distressed or whatever. She will talk me through breathing properly if I'm really gone. Also she asks me to look around the room and tell her what I see, notice if anything if different, what's happening outside the window etc. It does work but I do have trouble doing it without her.

grounding is realizing what is actually happening around you and not just what is happening in your head.