What does grounded mean? This word can actually mean different things, but I’m going to go with a more general definition. Being grounded means being present and realistic with an understanding of life’s priorities. There is also a grounding practice for those who suffer from extreme anxiety, panic disorder, and/or PTSD, but we’ll cover that in another blog. For now, the five ways I list below can help ground you so that you’re present, sensible, and well balanced.
Spend Time With Yourself
For some of us, our brain turns on immediately when we wake up, ready to go with a million thoughts racing. They can stay this way through the entire day up until we go back to bed later that evening. Let’s break that cycle by putting aside 5 to 10 minutes every day to just be with yourself. You can use this time to practice mindfulness and allow yourself to be present in the moment.
Also, you can take this time to journal out your thoughts. Write about what you’d like out of the day and visualize it or write about what you’re grateful for. You can also write a stream of consciousness where you allow all your thoughts to flow out onto the paper without a filter. All of these are great ways to just spend time with yourself. And what’s 5 to 10 minutes a day? You’ll be surprised by how such a small amount of time with yourself makes a huge difference in your day.
Organize Your Life
It can be difficult to be realistic and understand life’s priorities if you don’t really know what to prioritize. Here enters organization. Finding a good day planner or weekly planner really helps you prioritize the necessary tasks and the tasks you want to be finished. I use a Panda Planner and find it to be an invaluable asset in my life. I also use a Sarah Scribbles planner for my blog schedule. What can I say? I’m a freak about organization. By getting into this habit of organizing your day, you’ll find that it’s easier to remain present and remain grounded.
Not only is a planner a good idea, organizing your desk, your workroom, and even your house can help in the grounding process. The process of organizing is quite rewarding and gives you that wonderful accomplished feeling at the end of it. Organizing your space also allows less clutter in our lives and therefore in our minds.
Reflect on Facts During Stressful Situations
This is a toughy and requires awareness of your thoughts. When something stressful happens such as a setback at work, we often have an inner dialogue that exaggerates the situation. For example, let’s say Susie is given a task to do at work with a pretty immediate deadline. This deadline causes stress for Susie and she begins to think, “I can’t get this done. It’s just not possible to get it finished in that amount of time. I don’t even know where to start.” Susie’s mind is so busy thinking about the difficulty of the task. She’s already decided it’s impossible that mindset interferes with her focus and motivation.
By checking her thoughts and noticing what she says to herself, she can correct herself and say “This is a difficult task and it’s possible I will not be able to get it done by the deadline, but I will do my best. If I’m unable to accomplish it by the deadline, I will let my superiors know and ask for an extension or ask for help.” Suddenly, the task doesn’t look impossible but challenging. This correction of over-exaggerated thoughts helps ground us and relieve stress.
So next time you’re feeling extremely stressed about a situation, check your thoughts. Are your current thoughts helping the matter or are they making it worse?
Carry a Worry Stone or Trinket
This is a favorite of mine and it’s actually something that I do. I have a little stone that I carry in my pocket. When I’m feeling a panic attack coming on or I’m just feeling anxious in general, I will reach into my pocket and hold the stone. I love the cooling feeling in my hands and it helps me remain in the present, preventing me from being wrapped up in my thoughts. If I don’t have the stone on me, I’ll usually do this with a charm on a necklace instead.
You can also practice this by carrying a stone or small trinket or necklace or bracelet or what have you. It doesn’t really matter what you carry, but just having something that you can fiddle with to remind you of the present situation can really help to ground you.
Start a Bedtime Routine
Bedtime routines aren’t just for kids. We could all benefit from a bedtime routine and everyone’s bedtime routine may look a little different. By having a routine that you do every single night an hour or two before you go to bed, you can help get your body ready to relax and sleep. We are creatures of habit and by creating habits our body follows. Your bedtime routine may be to unplug completely and read for 30 minutes to an hour before bed. Or maybe you like taking baths or showers before bed.
With any routine, it’s important to try to stay away from screens as the light from screens can cause our brains to remain awake. It’s also a good idea to refrain from any intense physical activity because this can cause our bodies to remain energetic. However, some stretches or light yoga would be a nice activity before bed. Find a nice relaxing bedtime routine that works for you.
Once you have a nighttime routine in place, you may find that you sleep better. Sleep in and of itself can be a cure. By getting a full night’s sleep, we enhance our mental well-being and start the day outright.
It’s not always easy to remain grounded, but once you get into the habit of it, it becomes easier and easier and is very rewarding. By being grounded, we can often see the reality of situations in front of us with a clear head. By remaining grounded, we will feel less stressed, more productive, and even more energetic.