Storm Anxiety: UAB Psychologists Share Grounding Tips

0:00It's April 30th. This is Birmingham News Today, powered by AI, I'm Corey with the story. Recent deadly tornadoes in Alabama have a lot of folks battling storm anxiety and psychologists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham are stepping up with practical ways to handle it. This spear can hit hard right before the winds pick up, smack in the middle of the chaos or even linger afterward, clouding judgment when it matters. People are struggling to stay calm enough to make smart calls, like grabbing the family and heading to a safe spot underground. Experts point to simple grounding tricks, like the 5-4-3-2-1 method, spot five things you see, four you can touch, three sounds around, you, two smells, and one tastes to pull yourself back to the present. These tools keep your mind steady so you can focus on safety first, no matter how fierce the storm gets.