Let’s talk about: Grounding

Hello my lovelies!

I hope you’re feeling fabulous today!

Today we’re going to have a little chat about ‘grounding’. I’m sure you have probably heard of this magical technique for stress relief and dealing with anxiety. Grounding is all about connection and mindfulness; feeling part of your surroundings and connected to yourself.

It’s quite common for stress to cause overwhelming feelings of isolation, separation and confusion. It feels like everything around you is going bonkers and there’s nothing you can do to control it – it sucks! I would imagine anyone who has experienced these feelings has attempted on more than one occasion to find something to help. In fact, you might have even tried out grounding for yourself! Let me know in the comments below!

There are so many techniques you can use to ‘ground’ yourself. Some people go for a walk (sometimes barefoot!), some people might do a grounding yoga routine and others might resort to some meditation. I’m going to talk about one technique I’ve found really useful today and if you guys want to know more I’d be happy to post more on this topic. But for today I’m going to focus on a breath exercise which has really helped me and my anxiety – in particular, counting your breath.

To count breaths all you need is a quiet area (or just pop your headphones in), a place to sit or stand and a set of lungs! You might also fancy something to fiddle with or hold in your hands; a pebble or stress ball are good choices.

Once you’re in your place – hopefully somewhere with minimal distraction – get comfy. Relax your shoulders, your face and your hands. Try not to slouch! Close your eyes if you feel comfortable doing so, if not maybe take your gaze to your hands or focus on a set point in your vision. And begin to focus on your breath.

How does your breath feel right now? Slow, heavy, panicked?

Focus on making your breath deeper and calm.

As you breath, slowly count up to ten. Do this in sync with your breath cycle – in, out 1… in, out 2… and so on. All the way up to ten. If you feel your mind wander off towards any worries or negativity, simply start again from the bottom.

Count to ten as many times as you need. When you feel satisfied, take note of your breath again.

How does your breath feel now? Calmer and slower? Great!

Open your eyes if they are closed, roll up into your regular stance, let your breath return to a natural rhythm, give yourself a little wiggle if you need it.

Grounding complete! Hopefully you’re feeling calm and ready to face any tasks you need to! You don’t need to do this only in times of stress, many people do this every morning just to get them ready for the day ahead! Practicing techniques like this can really improve your ability to deal with tough situations and kick anxiety’s butt!

Let me know how you find this post! Like if you found it handy and maybe share with a friend who could find it useful too!

Thanks so much for reading, happy grounding!