Getting Grounded | Finding and Keeping Your Calm in the Chaos
In a busy day to day life it’s hard to stay grounded and centred. As moms, we get pulled in so many different directions it makes you feel like Gumbi. We are always needing to be “on” for our kids, our partner, our friends, our commitments, everything and everyone. So how do you reconnect with yourself to keep a sense of calm and peacefulness inside?
I should back this bus up for a minute….
What is Grounding?
“Grounding , also called Earthing, is a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth.”
Grounding has been said to have several health benefits! Some of these are:
Reduction in inflammation
Increase in energy
Increase in the speed with which you heal
Decrease in pain
Restoration of balance to the body
Reduction of chronic fatigue
Decrease in anxiety and depression symptoms
Improvement of sleep disorders
Decrease in chronic pain
Improvement of cardiovascular health
WHOA! That is quite a list! I don’t know about you but I could appreciate some of those improvements. It has also been said that it supports a better night’s sleep. As a mom, I can use as much help with that as I can get.
Grounding Techniques
There is a laundry list of gadgets you can buy to help ground yourself. Personally, nothing beats taking my shoes off and walking barefoot on the earth. My kids are also pros at this. They HATE wearing shoes and I even notice a difference in their demeanour when they are able to just run barefoot and be carefree.
Unfortunately I live in Alberta, where we have winter 363 days of the year (it seems like anyway) so walking barefoot isn’t always an option for me. When I am in a situation that I find stressful, or that makes me feel like I am slowly losing a sense of calm, or even in situations where I become very emotional, I will take a minute and ground myself (let’s be real, sometimes it takes more than a minute but you get the point) to regain my calm.
Six of My Grounding Techniques That Work and Don’t Cost A Cent!
Taking a drink of water or eat something. This is a great way to bring your focus back into your body and reconnect. When you don’t have the availability to be outside, this often works for me. I normally try to visualize my “happy” place (which is always in nature somewhere) while doing this and connect virtually to Mother Earth.
Doing some breathing and mindfulness techniques also helps bring a sense of calm and peacefulness back into my body. This also, generally, involves me visualizing connecting with the Earth, planting my feet on whatever surface is beneath me but then picturing roots going through that surface and embedding themselves into the earth.
Daydreaming. Have a photo of your favorite outdoor space (mountains, beach, forest, etc) and have it somewhere where you can always see it (even if it’s a photo on your phone you can pull up when you are not in one physical location). Take a minute and emotionally connect with that space. Try to feel the way you feel when you are there (usually this place is somewhere that makes us feel happy or at peace).
Music - music speaks to my soul. I will throw on some good nature sounds and connect to those sounds. I always pair this with visualizing myself in that space as well to try and be connected as possible (without physically being there).
Walking barefoot (when and if you can). I spend most of the summer barefoot. Summer is also my happiest time. I love the feel of the sun on my skin and I love the feel of the ground under my feet. It’s like a complete divine connection between the sun, myself and the earth. Being able to take myself outside when I feel out of control on the inside is the quickest way for me to realign myself.
Forest Bathing- the art of using all of your senses and surrounding yourself in nature. I have been blessed to always live where the forest is thick with trees and wildlife. I also now completely understand the idea of the enchanted forest. Every forest can be enchanted if you can see its magic!
You Need To Believe To Receive
Grounding is something I personally think you need to believe in in order to reap the benefits. I like to believe our world is full of magic and that there is something more to get than the day to day grind. The more I practice grounding, the easier it gets to feel that sense of calm in the chaos.
I hope some of these tips help you find your calm. If you want further help in establishing a sense of calm in your day to day chaos but need help, I’m here for you! Reach out and connect.