what is grounding? and why you should do it
Have you ever felt mentally overwhelmed? Like you are so overwhelmed, stressed out or in your head that you feel like you’re floating out of your body in an uncontrollable way? I know I definitely have! And I know from this personal experience that all of these symptoms are signs that you might be ungrounded.
When I used to work full - time for my old employer, I would often have days during massively busy weeks when I would leave my apartment in a hurry trying to catch public transportation. As I was running down the sidewalk, I would all of a sudden get the feeling like I forgot to put my shoes on! I would look down at my feet and see my shoes in place and feel completely out of sorts with my mind, my body and my energy.
Catching yourself in an ungrounded moment is nothing to be ashamed of. Even now, running my own business and leading a completely different lifestyle, I still have moments when I feel ungrounded. We all experience it sometimes. I believe it’s natural for us to experience imbalances because we are not perfect, we are humans. Things are constantly changing around us which means we have to learn to adapt and change with it. This often means we encounter imbalance in the process to equilibrium like feeling ungrounded.
An imbalance is a sign showing you that you need to pivot in some way and make a change. Whether that’s taking action on implementing self - care or boundaries, making a decision to better your life or seeking help or support that you might need, it’s natural from time to time to experience imbalance - especially when it comes to feeling ungrounded.
What is grounding?
Grounding is a term to describe a self – soothing practice that you can implement to support you through times of stress, emotional overwhelm or intense anxiety. It is also known to be a helpful practice when you find yourself too much in your head such as performing overthinking, getting carried away in escapism practices like excessive daydreaming or reliving the past and fearing the future. Grounding can bring you back into your body, center your energy and help you feel confidently rooted in the present moment.
Many cultures around the world and indigenous communities practice specific grounding techniques as a way of bringing yourself back to the present moment.
Why you should have a grounding practice
There are countless benefits to having a regular grounding practice. Below are just a few that I have personally experienced myself. I’ve also found that people I work with experience these benefits as well. These benefits include (but are not limited to!)…
Nervous system support and regulation
Lowering blood pressure through slowing our heart rate
Improving oxygen intake and deepening the breath
Clearing the mind
Balancing emotions
Reducing stress
Helps with restoring our energy body
Releases tension in the physical body and muscles
Helps us feel connected to our bodies, our surroundings, the Earth and each other
And an overall feeling of embodiment (being in the body physically) which can feel supportive in decision making processes and just everyday life
Practices for grounding
There are several practices out there for practicing grounding. As I mentioned earlier, many cultures and indigenous communities practice specific grounding techniques as a way of bringing yourself back to the present moment. It would be conscious and ethical to consider which grounding practices these are and what they mean to cultural communities and indigenous groups. Whenever we implement a practice, doing our research to learn where it comes from is always a best practice. From my initial research, many grounding or “Earthing” practices (connecting to the Earth through physical contact) have been known to originate from Chinese Medicine and indigenous communities native to North America and around the world. Below are some of my favorite practices.
Walking without shoes on in the grass (also known as Earthing) or in my case a sandy beach
Taking a mindful 10 minute walk outside (even in the wintertime!)
Smelling natural essential oils, flowers and herbs
(my favorites are lavender, rose, grapefruit and cedarwood)
Feeling soft blankets and quilts on my fingertips
Meditating in front of a beautiful piece of art
Drinking a glass of water
Eating a yummy snack
(I love these nuts from Trader Joe’s and this sugar free 100% dark chocolate from San Jose)
Listening to sounds like crickets, birds or cicadas
( also listening to the sound of dead winter is also a favorite )
Laughing with a friend
Chosing a grounding practice that’s right for you
There are so many grounding practices out there. The trick is to find practices that are simple and supportive for you to implement. If you are in the beginning stages of this journey, I personally recommend implementing a grounding practice everyday, even if it’s for 5 minutes a day or 10 minutes 3x’s a day - you’ll build more grounding into yourself quicker and will feel deeply rooted in your day to day. Then, during times of stress, it might not feel so incredibly overwhelming.
Like any practice you do, the benefits will come with repetition over time.
You can try out any of the practices above to start with (you can even try them all!) and see where they lead you. Once you start a grounding practice, you will become more embodied. This experience alone is enough to lead you to find your own new ways of being in your body, self – soothing and feeling connected.
I hope this article helps to bring you back into the present moment and back home to yourself! <3
Did you enjoy these grounding tips? Or do you have your own grounding practice or ritual? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Let’s stay connected. Join the CIG Community and receive emails from me. Reply to your inbox and let me know what your favorite grounding practice is <3