If you’re anything like me and a lot of people nowadays, you are probably often doing and thinking about multiple things at any one time? E.g. making the kids dinner and thinking about what you have on at work tomorrow, or what hobbies do the kids have on tonight?, what do they need to take to school tomorrow?.
Depending on how I’m feeling, and how tired I am, this can sometimes go into overdrive and lead to overthinking / over analysing things. E.g. did that meeting go well today or was it a disaster?, why didn’t I handle the kid’s tantrum better earlier? On a bad day this can easily spiral to thinking negative thoughts.
I have often had a really busy mind like this for years, so I remember the moment I learned what being grounded and present means, and I immediately realised I was often NOT grounded and present for a lot of my day!
So what does it mean to be grounded?
When you’re grounded you’re fully present in your body and in the moment with your thoughts. You are focused on what you are doing and / or feeling. You are also connected energetically to the earth.
When you are not grounded you are not ‘in your body’ or ‘living in the present moment’. Your thoughts, (and energy) are stuck in the past thinking about what happened yesterday, or the future, worrying about what may happen tomorrow. If you are continually ungrounded you may suffer from severe anxiety and you may also have physical symptoms such as low energy levels, poor sleep etc.
What are some of the signs that you are ungrounded?
Signs that you are ungrounded could include:
- Getting easily distracted.
- Often ‘spaced out’.
- Overthinking or ruminating on past or future.
- Feeling anxious and worrying alot of the time.
- Constantly engaging in personal drama.
- Easily deceived by yourself of others.
Reasons we may feel ungrounded
You may feel ungrounded for the following reasons:
- Trying to achieve too many things at once.
- Being overwhelmed by thoughts or emotions.
- Doing things that don’t feel true to you / don’t align to your values, goals and purpose in life.
How can we be more grounded and present in life?
Don’t get me wrong, you’re never going to be fully present all of the time. That would surely be impossible and its perfectly healthy to think about the past (to learn for example), and to think about the future (to set goals and plan ahead), but it’s about maintaining a balance and not allowing yourself to dwell on things that have happened or may happen. Accept your thoughts but don’t let them control you.
Here are some ways you can ground yourself in the present moment when you feel as though you are too much in your mind:
- Breathe – as you practice breathing exercises notice your connection to the earth (e.g. the floor of the chair beneath you).
- Exercise – any type of exercise can help you connect to your body including walking, running, yoga etc.
- Get out in nature – barefoot if possible!
- Music – listening or dancing to your favourite songs can help bring you back into your body.
- Do something ‘hands on’ – even something as simple as washing the dishes can help but why not try gardening or painting if you enjoy those!
- Meditate – try a guided meditation such as a ‘body scan’ or other type of ‘grounding’ meditation.
- Stop and focus on your surroundings – notice what you can see, feel, hear, smell taste etc.
- Take a cold shower – or other form of cold water therapy such as wild swimming.
By practicing being more present you can start to train yourself to be more calm and live in the present moment a little more, and you can also use the techniques when you feel that things are getting on top of you. My favourite way is to go for a walk on the beach or in the woods. I instantly feel calmer, and my mind starts to slow down. (There are many other benefits of grounding or ‘earthing’ in nature which I’ll cover in a later post). But try what works best for you!