What it means to be grounded

Groundedness is a term often used in the wellness industry with little explanation. But it’s a very helpful practice for supporting our wellbeing. Being grounded simply means you know who you are and are able to connect inward with your physical and emotional self to find a sense of balance and peace. When you do this, you’re able to be more present in your daily life, whether it’s in your workout, relationships, communication, work, you name it. It helps to bring you back to your current moment and leave the stress and anxiety of other things behind you. 

Most of us are often caught up with our emails, social media, and all of the other things on our phones, but taking a break to ground ourselves can help us to become more intentional with the ways that we use our time. We are then able to discover what brings joy and is healthy for us and what negatively impacts our emotional and mental wellbeing. 

Taking the time out of your day when feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed to ground yourself can help remind you of your inner strength, bringing you a sense of calm and peace.

This can happen in a number of ways, but grounding practices are designed to help you reconnect with your inner self and discover a sense of purpose and peace. It can be a crucial part of self care, since tending to your emotional self helps to relieve or prevent stress. In a world that is constantly online, to be grounded is to find presence. 

For ways on how to ground yourself and find inner balance, take a look below at a few options:

• Practise mindfulness techniques like meditation, journaling and yoga
• Take time to do something that brings you joy
• Take time away from screens 
• Do something with your hands, like baking, ceramics, playing an instrument, etc
• Set phone on do-not-disturb/turn off notifications
• Go for a nature walk
• Put your bare feet on the Earth
• Be near water by taking a bath, walking by the canal or river, or heading to the coast
• Spend time in silence & solitude 
• Give yourself a hug
• Practise Qi Gong
• Move your body
• Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method: working backwards from 5, simply use your senses to list things you notice around you. For example, list 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.
• Play with your pet (if you have one) - it releases your happy hormones, like endorphin and serotonin that help to reduce cortisol levels. If not, find a way to connect with animals, whether it’s the neighbourhood cat, the cows that appear at the Lee Valley WaterWorks Nature Reserve, or your friend’s pup!
• Listen to ambient music
• Partake in a sound journey 
• Care for your plants (or prune neighbourhood ones if you don’t have a green thumb!)
• Make art without judgement: simply draw, paint, colour, sketch, etc
• Call a close friend
• Watch The Earthling Movie - it’s an incredible documentary all about grounding 

No matter what you choose to do to ground yourself, know that it will help bring you comfort and peace in the long run.