A Quick Guide to Getting Grounded

If you’re a human–and I assume that you are–sooner or later, your mooring will come undone and you will feel set adrift by life.

It’s that sudden shifting, out of control feeling that follows a shock, or a meltdown, or a catastrophe. Or even just a really bad day. And it feels empty–as if everything important in your life had suddenly been shaken loose.

This is when it’s useful to have tools in hand that can help you slip back to your usual secure spot within yourself. It can also be useful when you’re nervous, perhaps before a difficult conversation or a performance review or big presentation at work. 

May these ideas help you come back to you… which is a very sweet place to be! 

Lie down and put your hand on your tummy. Did you know your gut has a sort of ‘second brain’ that works with your central nervous system, and holds a good deal of your tension? Hence the term agita, which means both anxiety and heartburn or stomach upset.

When you relax and consciously go within, even for a few moments, you’ll soon tap into the source of your worry. (And yes, really lie down–that seems to make all the difference here.) Then you have a few choices for how to process that. (See below.)

Journal out your worries. This is an old trick from the cognitive behavior therapy toolbox. Sit down somewhere other than your bedroom, and write out what you’re worried about. Let your pen flow as your process this and that. You might even discover some new worries and process those as well It’s a way to ‘think out loud’ on paper and clean house, so your mind can get back to more reassuring inner conversation. Particularly useful when you’re full of performance anxiety.

This is great to do once you discover the source of your upset in #1 on this list.

Take a healing crystal bath. If you tend to relax in the bathtub, consider this. Make it a deeply healing bath by first dumping in a cup or two of Epsom salts. Then try adding some crystals, perhaps a little rose quartz or amethyst. Or even just a clear crystal. While some think of crystals as no more than pretty rocks, others find healing crystals to actually be pretty useful.

I like to place a few of my favorites on various chakra points, and breathe into them as I let the water unwind me. What I almost always find when I finally emerge is that the bath has supercharged my relaxation. I feel renewed, grounded, clear-minded, and ready for the next thing. (I did a YouTube video on this, by the way.)

Try some slow yoga. Some yoga requires us to be up, vigorous and sweaty. While others take a slower, more thoughtful approach. I refer specifically to Yin Yoga, Kripalu Yoga and my favorite, Tri-Yoga. These are slow flow movements designed to relax us and get us into our own special groove. And boy… does that work. My own yogini, Kashi Ananda, has lots of short videos available that can help you get in and ground efficiently if you need.

Hug a tree. I know, I know. This sounds a little crazy, but I promise you…just try it. It really works. My dear pal Debi (co-host of our former podcast, Back to Happy) swears by it. She heads out to the yard when she’s feeling off, and takes her shoes off. She walks around on the ground a bit, just to feel that beautiful earth energy. Then she throws her arms around the nearest tree and hugs.

I’ve tried this as well, and I have to admit. That old tree energy just emits a vibe that says ‘I’m not going anywhere’. And boy, is that reassuring! Try it!

Have a good cry. When nothing else works, it can be very helpful just to meltdown and have a long sob. Perhaps that is what you’ve been needing. Did you know that different kinds of tears have different chemical structures? Microscopic views of angry tears literally look different than tears cried from grief or joy. Which tells me the body knows just what she’s doing when she urges us to break down and cry.

A good cry could be just what your stressed out, frazzled soul has been crying out for.

Breathe….. I find classic 4-7-8 breathing really helps me take the stress down a few notches. You simply breathe in to the count of four, hold for seven, and then release in a whispered ‘whoosh’ breath with your lips in a O shape for 8. This really helps when you’re stressing in the middle of the night.

Talk to a dear pal. Got a friend out there who knows how to listen and hold space? Who can nod sympathetically and offer a compassionate ‘there there’? Or perhaps you know just the person who will help you talk through different solutions to what is on your mind. Whatever the case may be, talking it out could be just what you need.

 May these simple solutions offer you help when you need it most! 

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