We’ve all had those days, seemingly nothing is going right and our emotions are all over the place. You get home and as much as you wish to relax and unwind there are a million things to do, the dishwasher needs loading, the dog needs walking and your state spirals from anxious to downright overwhelmed. In our busy world, this rollercoaster of inner turmoil can become an often occurrence for some. If you want to find practices that can help to soothe you during these times and bring you back to a state of equilibrium then grounding may be just the solution for you. Grounding is a technique that enables you to reconnect with the present moment to help you to slow down and find a sense of peace, calm and balance. There are a range of really effective grounding practices for you to try but here we have collated five simple yet effective techniques to help get you started:
Connecting with your five senses
Sensory grounding involves placing your awareness on your five senses (touch, taste, smell, sound and sight) to help regulate your emotions and nervous system. This can be especially effective if you are experiencing anxiety and overwhelm. Oftentimes it is our thoughts and the stories that we play out in our mind that are triggering and causing our anxiety. By taking our awareness away from these negative patterns and instead placing it on the present moment it helps us to gain a sense of control and peace. To help guide you through this sensory grounding practice we have created a free guided meditation which you can access here. During this short guided meditation, we focus on each of our five senses to enable us to ground ourselves in the present moment so that we can experience more peace, calm and tranquillity throughout our day. Alternatively, if you prefer you can practise this yourself using the following five simple steps:
- Focus your attention on five things you can see. What room are you in? Are there any objects in the room? What are you wearing?
- Four things that you are touching. What clothes are you wearing? What surface are you sitting or standing on?
- Three things that you can hear. What sounds can you hear in the room you are in? Are there any fainter sounds you can listen to from the outside world?
- Two things you can smell. Are there any smells lingering in the air? Are there any scents on your person such as perfume or fabric conditioner?
- One thing you can taste. For this part of the practice, it can be most effective to eat something really sweet or sour to help stimulate your tastebuds.
You may wish to journal and take note of how you felt before starting this practice and how you felt after.
Connect with your body
As previously mentioned, oftentimes feelings of worry and anxiety are in fact just emotional feedback to the negative thoughts, stories and beliefs we are focusing on. These emotions are our body's way of telling us that what we are placing our awareness on in this present moment is not feeling good for us and is out of alignment with our higher truth. As our thoughts, beliefs and stories are all generated by our minds, one great way to break this pattern is to ground ourselves by placing our awareness instead on our physical body. This can be done while exercising which can also help to elevate your mood. Perhaps you may wish to perform a vigorous physical activity such as a HIIT workout or sprints, or something slower paced such as yoga or stretching. Alternatively taking a walk outside in nature can also be really beneficial as sunlight can boost serotonin levels which can make you feel good. Whatever form of physical exercise you choose to do be really present while practising it and notice the sensations you feel within your body such as the stretch of your muscles, or the blood flowing through your veins.
Connect with crystals
Crystals have many different properties and benefits and there are many that can help with grounding. Our Grounding Crystal kit is perfect for encouraging you to feel present. Ocean Jasper is known as the “supreme nurturer”. It helps to sustain and support you through times of stress and works to bring tranquillity and wholeness. It also provides protection and absorbs negative energy. Agate has a soft and low vibration, making it an amazing stone for keeping you grounded. Labradorite can bring your gaze inwards to dial out from your mind and connect with your truth. There are many different ways you can work with these crystals but here are some suggestions below:
- Carry the crystal on you at all times either in your pocket, purse or tucked in your bra. This will help you to feel the positive benefits of your chosen crystal throughout the day.
- Use a worry stone and gently rub the crystal whenever you need to ground yourself throughout the day. These stones can reduce stress and anxiety through the simple action of rubbing the indentation with your thumb.
- Find somewhere to lie down where you won’t be disturbed and place the crystal on the part of your body that is feeling the emotions. For example, if you are feeling anxiety in the pit of your stomach then place the crystal there and visualise the healing properties of the crystal soothing the emotion.
Self care
Anything that you do to take care of yourself mentally, emotionally or spiritually can be considered self-care. Feelings of anxiety and unease may be triggered when our needs are not being met by others. For example, perhaps a client is not calling you back when they were meant to and it's putting you behind on your work. The reason this is feeling so dysregulating maybe because this situation is going against one of your core needs. For example, you may be someone who likes to experience safety and security and this situation is making you feel unsafe, insecure and out of control. In this situation, one great way to self-soothe would be to do something that would enable you to meet the need for security and safety yourself. For example, perhaps journaling out the worst-case scenario helps you to feel safe so you practise that. This simple act of practising an activity that helps to soothe you in the moment can be considered an act of self care. It can be a great idea to keep a note of any self-care practices that you love so that you have a list to fall back on during times you are triggered. However, if you are new to the notion of self care here are some ideas:
- Light your favourite candle and really take a moment to sit and stare at the candle flame and appreciate the aroma it produces. Working with an Amethyst Crystal Infused Candle could be great for this as it would also enable you to tap into the calming benefits properties of amethyst.
- Make your favourite drink whether that be a herbal tea, coffee or smoothie. Really take a break while drinking it and turn off all other distractions so you can appreciate the taste.
- Run a bath and use a bath bomb in your favourite scent to help create bubbles and a calming scent. You may also wish to put your favourite crystal in the bath with you.
- Put on your favourite song and dance freely to the music.
- Practise your favourite form of yoga.
- Take out your favourite pen and journal about anything that may be coming up for you today. Really take time to acknowledge your feelings and delve into why you may be feeling them.
- Spend time deeply connecting with a loved one.
- Read a book
- Put on your favourite film or TV programme
Connect with nature
Studies have shown that being in a natural setting can help to have a calming effect on the brain which can reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. One great therapeutic practice to try is earthing. To do this you must directly connect your body with the Earth and the natural electric charges that are produced will help to ground and stabilise you. Alternatively just getting outside and allowing yourself to be exposed to sunlight helps to boost serotonin in the brain which can help to give you more energy and keep you calm and positive. If you find getting outside difficult, you can still reap the benefits of grounding by placing plants in your living environment.