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Grounding Techniques for Staying Present
Why grounding helps and how to do it
Life in today's society if full of demands and stresses that are unnatural to our psyche that causes our body's natural responses to be unnecessarily triggered. Responses which was our body's necessary defense system in ancient times to protect us from disease, outcast, being eaten or conquered. Now, fight, flight, freeze, fawn etc. could be triggered from a minor embarrassment in public, to a disagreement with a friend or family member, to fear mongering on social and mainstream media. Our nervous systems are always in over drive, our cortisol levels are overly elevated.
The stress of living in these modern days has our brains and nervous system acting like we are constantly on the verge of :
- Social out cast, which in old times would usually mean starvation and death... but being socially awkward will not cause you starvation and death
- Having someone close see the world differently from yourself feels like the end of the world or a betrayal, in past times it was normal for clans and tribes to think alike and believe alike to maintain order and security... but the world is so much fuller now and it's actually an invitation to be open minded, trusting and having the ability to respect others for their differences.
- That you are always in danger of the world ending is like you are being hunted by a lion, tiger or bear that it's just around the corner, in ancient times it was a definite possibility... the world is still turning like it has been your whole life and will continue to.
Living in constant stress has a negative impact on your mental and physical health and it is important to learn how to deal with stress and regulate your nervous system. One way to do this is by grounding.
What is Grounding?
Grounding involves physically connecting with the Earth, typically by walking barefoot on natural surfaces like grass, sand, or dirt. The Earth has a natural electrical charge, and making contact with it can transfer this energy to the body. This is done in the belief that the Earth's energy can help balance the body's electrical system and promote overall well-being. Also being mindful in the moment bringing you back into the present moment, defusing the fight or flight triggers from the current situation or just everyday stress.
Why is grounding important? It helps relieve stress in our body, calming our nervous system and resetting and rebalancing your body to a natural neutral state.
Potential Benefits of Grounding:
Stress Reduction: Grounding is thought to help dissipate stress, leading to relaxation.
Improved Mood: Connecting with the Earth's energy is believed to restore balance and harmony, improving mood and reducing feelings of anxiety. Grounding can serve as a distraction from negative emotions or thoughts, and it can also help regulate the nervous system, leading to an improved mood.
Reduced Inflammation: Grounding may help reduce inflammation by signaling the body to enter a "rest and repair" state, potentially aiding in pain relief and recovery.
Better Sleep: Some people believe that grounding can improve sleep quality by regulating the body's natural rhythms and promoting relaxation. Resetting the circadian rhythm.
Improved Heart Health: Studies suggest that grounding may improve blood flow and heart health by reducing blood viscosity and clumping, making it easier for the heart to pump blood.
Pain Relief: Grounding may help reduce pain by reducing inflammation and promoting the body's natural healing processes. Getting your body out of fight or flight from stress and anxiety can help put the body into the relaxed and healing state.
Improved Immune System and Cortisol Imbalances: Grounding may contribute to a more balanced and efficient immune system, potentially by reducing inflammation and promoting overall well-being. It may also help balance cortisol levels, the body's stress hormone, potentially alleviating the negative effects of stress on the body. By relieve stress and resetting the nervous system the mind and body are no longer searching for an outside threat and can calm and focus on keeping the body healthy and protected from threats to the immune system.
5 techniques of Grounding
- Sit or stand barefoot on grass to help center yourself.
- Breathing exercises such as 4-7-8 or 4-hold-4 where you breathe in for 4 seconds, hold, the release for 4 seconds l to help you relax.
- 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique where you identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can heat, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.
- Body sensation grounding technique where you pay attention to each of you body parts to identify areas of tension or relaxation. Kind of like a mental body scan. I started doing this when I was about 10 years old, it's always helped me, especially when trying to fall asleep or meditate and the mental noise was too loud.
- Visualize grounding. With your eyes close imagine your feet rooting to the earth. Like tree roots for stability and connection.
- Use the elements
Fire : Light a candle, campfire, fireplace. (Be responsible with fire)
Wind : Breathing , standing in the breeze
Water : Shower, bathe, a nice cup of tea
Earth : Walk barefoot on the earth, hold a crystal
Hold space and grace for yourself. You are human. It's normal to have stress and anxiety in current society. Don't be mean to yourself or anyone else for having self preservation triggers to non- life threatening situations.
Anytime you feel anxious, stressed, be mindful of your surroundings and take your mental and physical health in hand. Ground yourself in the moment.
Remember relaxation is not laziness. Recovery is not laziness. You need to take care of yourself everyday. At the end of the day remember to ground yourself, be mindful of your well being, shake off any minor stresses you may still be holding onto from your day. Allow yourself to regulate so you can recover and heal.
Grounding has helped me so much since I learned about it 5 years ago. Anytime I find stress of life too much or a turmoil too big to hold, I step barefoot into soft grass, breath in, gaze into the sky, and remember I am safe, and think everything is going to be ok.
Add a quote, mindfulness exercise, or journaling question.
The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.
So in your daily life when confronted with stress, anxiety, and confrontation, ground yourself. Give yourself the gift of the moment to be calm, to relax, to be safe. At the end of your life remember to discharge unnecessary stress energy from the day, and take care of yourself.
