6 Simple Grounding Practices to Create a State of Calm

Relax, you are in the right place. If you feel overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed out, this is the blog post for you.

In Toronto, where I’m from, there’s another lockdown. I can’t believe it. As a collective, I feel all the feels, being tapped into all the people's stress around me.

If you feel a lot of stress and anxiety right now, but you’re not someone who typically feels that way. Know that you may be empathetic and tapped into the collective energy.

I felt called to share these tips, and how I have been navigating these feelings of stress and anxiety.

I’m not going to lie—last night, I had a good cry session just to move some of the energy. I felt so much better afterward. Which led me to share how I deal with these moments, in hopes it will help you move through stressful times in your life.

Today, I’m sharing my favorite tips for becoming grounded in moments of high stress and anxiety.

What is grounding?

Grounding is a technique that connects you with the Earth. Grounding connects you with the present moment.

Anxiety and stress come up when things are moving and shaking. In these moments of stress, you are losing touch with the present moment. You are thinking really far into the future, or you’re in the go, go, go, Energizer bunny mode. You lose touch with your current reality and tend to be lost in a spiral of worrisome thoughts. You might even experience a physical response to stress.

These are the times it’s important to pause and take a moment to connect with the present moment.

How to Ground Yourself and Release Stress

1. Walk Barefoot

Take time to walk outside (weather permitting) barefoot like we did when we were kids! This helps you connect with the literal Earth. This practice can be so powerful because you are using your senses to connect to the Earth and the energies of Mother Nature.

If it’s too cold outside, you can even do this indoors. Stand barefoot on the floor and bring your awareness into your feet. Look down at them and become conscious of where you are standing. This will create an instant presence, that will help you combat all of the stress and overwhelm.

2. Take a Bath

Water is incredibly soothing. I enjoy having a bath from time to time. I like to throw in some bath salts. Really create an experience for yourself and allow yourself to release into relaxation mode and create calm for yourself at that moment.

You can even meditate in the bath, and implement some of the other tips I am sharing in this blog post. Water can be very soothing. To create even more of a sense of calm you can dim the lights, add bath salts, and even light a few candles if you feel like it.

When you step into your bathroom, set the intention to relax and unwind.

3. Breathe Work

This is probably one of the most popular forms of relaxation! Focus on your belly, breathe in for 3 out for 3. Connecting with your body will help create a sense of calm. This is a great practice that you can do anywhere, and it only takes a few moments.

If you are driving somewhere, maybe you take a pause and step away from your laptop. Maybe, you’re about to go into a meeting—wherever you are, you can take a break and focus on your breath.

Focus on your breath and bring yourself back to the center.

4. Relax with Mediation

This is such a great way to calm down. Take a moment to be still and close your eyes. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, sitting still and closing your eyes can help you feel less stressed by everything going on around you. It will bring you back to the center and allow you to slow your thoughts.

If you're interested in learning more about meditation you might enjoy my blog post: 3 Reasons Why Daily Meditation Is Important For Success

5. Connect with Nature

Similar to walking barefoot, just being in nature tends to calm us. Get all your senses involved, smelling the smells, feeling the ground. If you don’t have enough wildlife around, you can do a nature connection meditation.

If you live in the city and lack access to the great outdoors, you can try a nature meditation or even try to bring more plants into your home.

6. Hold On to Something and Focus on it's Details

Grab something near to you, and focus on the details of it. For example, I like to use crystals. I will grab one and look at it. Taking time to really look at the details of it creates a sense of focus and blocks out other thoughts, stressors, and feelings of overwhelm. Again, it fosters that connection with the present moment—that we tend to lose when we get too in or heads with worrisome thoughts.

If you don’t have crystals on hand, you can use anything that’s sitting nearby, a water bottle, pen, book, your cat. You just need to be able to focus on that one thing, touch it, feel it, and study the details of it.

I hope you found something to help you relax! What's your favorite grounding tool? Leave a comment.

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Much love,

Cassandra Rosa