5 grounding practices to implement in your self-care routine
written by Jasmine Irven
In our overly connected world, it’s quite easy to feel swayed by other people’s thoughts and opinions. We’re always receiving external input from social media, the online world, and those around us, and it’s very easy in that noise to lose sight of own ideas, thoughts, and opinions.
The ultimate goal in my mind is to be grounded in a firm sense of who we are, while still being open to growth, learning and support from others; knowing that life is always changing and there needs to be room for flexibility.
The concept of being grounded offers feelings of being secure, stable, supported, at ease, connected with our bodies and the earth, finding inner peace in spite of any external movement.
It also means being fully present, rather than being swayed so much by replaying the past and looking forward into the future.
Sounds pretty dreamy, am I right?
When was the last time you felt at home in your body?
Here are a few rituals you can use to bring more of a sense of grounding into your being.
get outside + in nature
When we think of feeling grounded it’s almost impossible not to bring nature into the conversation. Nature in and of itself offers us feelings of being grounded.
Think of a tree; its roots grounded in the earth, completely supported by Mother Nature, with the tops of its branches and all of its leaves still looking upward towards the sky for sunlight and rain; nourishment to help it grow.
Similarly, when we explore nature we feel completely connected to the nurturing and pure energy of the earth. We feel supported. Our stress is reduced, and instead we often simply feel at peace.
“In one recent experiment conducted in Japan, participants were assigned to walk either in a forest or in an urban center (taking walks of equal length and difficulty) while having their heart rate variability, heart rate, and blood pressure measured. The participants also filled out questionnaires about their moods, stress levels, and other psychological measures.
Results showed that those who walked in forests had significantly lower heart rates and higher heart rate variability (indicating more relaxation and less stress), and reported better moods and less anxiety, than those who walked in urban settings. The researchers concluded that there’s something about being in nature that had a beneficial effect on stress reduction, above and beyond what exercise alone might have produced.”
— How nature makes you kinder, happier, more creative
walk barefoot outside
Expanding on the importance of getting outside and in nature even more, a very powerful grounding ritual involves physically walking on the earth, barefoot (called “grounding” or “earthing”).
Essentially this practise works because it puts us into direct contact with the earth’s energy/ electrons, and this energy transfers from the ground into the body.
Studies have shown incredible benefits from grounding in this way, including reduced pain, better sleep, and a shift from the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) into our parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest).
While this used to be common practise for our ancestors, with the introduction of shoes with plastic and rubber soles (non conductors), this energy transfer happens far less often.
So, when we make time to walk barefoot in a park or in our backyard, it’s almost like a coming home. And whether you believe in the science or not, it’s pretty clear that when we’re in nature and especially when we’re in direct connection with it, we feel more present.
meditation + breathing
Meditation and deep breathing are some of the best ways to realign our body; to move from anxiety and stress into a sense of being okay, grounded, and content, in the here and now.
They are a way for you to connect fully with your body. Feeling into the rhythm of your breath, how it feels in your body, anchoring you into the present.
These practises allow you to disconnect from the external and instead reconnect with yourself. Moving from noise to a sense of inner clarity.
Simply allow yourself to find a comfortable position, gently close your eyes, and focus just on your inhale and exhale for 1-2 minutes. Any time your mind wanders and tries to pull you away, simply redirect your attention to your breathing.
Note how you feel before and after you take this time.
having set rituals
Often times when we’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed it’s because things are outside of our control. So, when you can instead look at what is within your control and make change in those areas, you can regain some of your peace of mind.
Your daily routines are a great place to start. And beyond looking to your routines, which are often mundane activities we do automatically each day, look toward your rituals! These are activities done with thought and intention behind them.
Having a few set rituals doesn’t mean that you don’t make room for flexibility; there are always going to be things outside of your control and there are seasons for everything (so know if something doesn’t feel good anymore, it’s okay to change it!). However, if you can have a couple of practises that do remain relatively consistent despite external distractions and changes.
Whether that looks like some morning movement, a consistent skincare routine, or reading a page or two before bed, when you have these rituals in place you can find a sense of grounding in each day.
disconnecting
We started off this conversation talking about the impact that always being connected has on our being, so it’s only fitting to counter that with encouragement to disconnect more often.
Instead of always looking towards social media, the online world, and other people when you’re bored, looking for advice, or feeling lost, try to go inwards more instead.
Connect with yourself and your intuition instead of always trying to find answers outside of yourself.
And, scheduling more time to disconnect regularly can be incredibly beneficial for your mental health, allowing you to feel more peace, less stress, and greater clarity.
journal prompts
What does being grounded mean to me? What does it feel like?
When do I feel most grounded?
When do I feel most out of control?
What’s one thing I could schedule into my week to help me feel more at peace?
Write 1-2 grounding affirmations you can use to centre yourself in times of external noise.
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about the author
Hey there! I’m Jasmine, founder of the Sustainable Bliss Collective, a Certified Meditation Teacher, and lover of all things self-care, slow-living, and personal development.
I believe that ambition and self-care can coexist, and as such I hope to encourage and inspire you to take care of yourself, breathe deeply, connect with who you are, manifest your dreams, enjoy the blissful moments of each day, and make an impact in this beautiful world we call home.
Connect with me on Instagram here!
