Staying grounded

is something I have always struggled with.

Spacey, with my head in the clouds as my loved ones say.

Etherealness is not always a flaw, but oftentimes you lose connection to your own body and surroundings.

does this sound like you?

Constantly rushing, yet you can’t get anything done
Scatterbrained, unable to focus
Always forgetting where you put things - wallet, keys, phone, etc
Clumsy / always bumping into things. Stubbing your toes, waking up with bruises on your shins when you don’t even remember running into something
Overwhelmed with emotions and you aren’t exactly sure why
Feeling emotionally and mentally drained
You are having a conversation with someone and realize you have no idea what they were saying
Mindlessly scrolling on social media
Difficulty finishing projects
Great at distracting yourself with busy work, podcasts, music, media, conversations so you aren’t alone in your own thoughts
Feeling a little lost, unsure and less connected to your purpose

If you can relate, these are telltale sounds you are not very grounded. And that’s okay. We are all going through a collective trauma. The pandemic has us in survival mode, but being forced in stillness.

If you want to feeling more centered, calm and grounded in your energy, mentality and physical body, le't’s jump in.

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1. The 5-4-3-2-1 Method

If you are feeling anxiety or overwhelmed and you aren’t sure why, this is my favorite practice to ground yourself in the moment. Take a deep breath and bring awareness to the following:

The best part is, you don’t need anything to complete this one so you can do it anywhere, anytime.

2. Belly Breathing

To release tension and emotional distress, connecting with your breath is a great tool you can also use any time of the day.

First get comfortable, close your eyes and put one arm over your heart and the other over your belly. Inhale through your nose, filling the belly allowing it to expand. Hold this breath for 3-4 seconds. Then exhale, feeling your stomach deflate. Repeat 10 times.

3. Go outside or sit by a window

If you are feeling overwhelmed, there is nothing more soothing that feeling fresh air on your skin. If you can’t get outside, go to the nearest window and put your face in the sun or focus on a piece of nature outside - a tree, the sky, whatever you can bring your attention to.

4. Mantra

Mantras - to break it down, “man,”= mind, and “tra,” = transport or vehicle. By definition, a mantra is a sound, vibration or saying used as an instrument of the mind to enter a deep state of meditation. There are all sorts of mantras that can be used for different purposes, but for grounding, close your eyes and rehearse these words:

5. Hold something with you

Think of a small, familiar object that can easily come with you in your pocket, purse or wallet wherever you go. Maybe it's a stone, special crystal, lucky charm on a necklace or bracelet. It can be a figurine or memento, anything meaningful to you.

When you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious, come back to it. Close your eyes and bring your full attention to the shape, texture and temperature of the object.

6. Scent

There is nothing that brings my mind to the present moment more than smelling a familiar scent. It can be a perfume, essential oil, a candle, sage, incense, etc. Try to make a habit of keeping your favorite scents around or invest in a travel size roller to bring with you when anxiety creeps up on the go. My go-to lately is the root chakra roller from rocky mountain oils.

7. Root Chakra Meditation

Chakras are areas of concentrations of vital life force within the body and exist in many spiritual practices including yoga. Running from the base of the spine to the top of the head, the seven chakras are each linked to organs, emotional and mental states, physical health, disease, colors and so much more.

To connect with your root chakra, which is all about support, survival, security and grounding, try this meditation:

This meditation was adapted from A Little Bit of Chakras: An Introduction to Energy Healing by Amy Leigh and Chad Mercree

8. Take your shoes and socks off

Going barefoot, also known as “earthing”, is a well-known and beloved grounding practice for many. Getting into the habit of stepping outside on the actual Earth (the dirt, grass or yes, concrete for us city folks) first thing in the morning is an excellent daily grounding practice to incorporate into your routine. (You can check out my Fall PM routine HERE).

To make the most of this, close your eyes and feel the ground beneath you, envisioning your feet physically being rooted into the earth. Visualize your feet growing roots and becoming one with the Earth. With each breath you feel a stronger connection down your shins, calves, ankles to the toes until your whole body feels strong, rooted and connected.

9. Roast some veggies

On of my favorite Ayurvedic grounding tips is to incorporate root vegetables and foods that grow near the earth. These include parsnips, carrots, beets, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, garlic, shallots, pumpkins, squash, zucchini, leeks and asparagus.

Besides roasting, opt for soups, stews a and chilis in fall and winter to keep the body, mind and emotions in balance.

10. Tapping

Emotional freedom technique (EFT) or tapping, focuses on the meridian points - or energy hot spots — to restore balance to your body’s energy. Based on Chinese medicine, tapping has been used for anxiety and PTSD. While there are many techniques, you can simply tap on the forehead, between the eyebrows, on the chin or even over your heart space. Check out this video if you need a visual for what I am talking about.

I hope these grounding practices can help you feel more stable, strong and connected this season. There are tons of grounding and mindfulness practices out there, so if none of these stick, keep searching!

If you are looking for more ways to support your mental and emotional health during this time, see my post on beating the winter blues below. Stay safe and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any specific questions, thoughts or ideas.

Feel free to drop me a line in the comments or find me on social media, I’d love to hear from you!