One afternoon in Spring, ‘Jenny’ abruptly left her desk, took the elevator to the ground floor and headed to Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens, a short walk from her office. Immersed in a toxic work environment due to a boss who withheld vital information, imposed arbitrary rules, and pitted one staff member against another, she instinctively sought refuge in nature.
Jenny’s head was in turmoil. But as she wandered through the Bamboo Grove and the dappled shade of Weeping Fig Avenue, she felt the first stirrings of peace return. She continued to walk until she found a clear patch of grass. She laid down her coat. She sat first, and then lay. Staring up at the clear blue sky, the answer became obvious. Life was too short. She had to find a new job. And so she did.
What is grounding?
Grounding means coming back to earth.
While the concept itself comes from the practice of earthing, it differs from the belief that benefits arise from bodily contact with the Earth’s natural electric charge.
In a psychological sense, grounding is about reconnecting with the most elemental parts of yourself and your environment. It’s about returning to your core, your centre.
Grounding can be done physically – by escaping into nature. It can be done mentally – by connecting with the present and your bodily sensations. And grounding can be done emotionally – by taking necessary time out to self-soothe.
Not everyone will make the same dramatic life decisions as Jenny did.
But grounding strips away the chaos, returning you to a state of calm and clarity.
In today’s world, where we spend an estimated one hour and 5 minutes per day on distractions and stress levels are at an all-time high, grounding is a practice that can benefit most people.
It will most likely benefit you too.
When should I use grounding techniques?
Grounding isn’t a ‘cure’ for anything.
However, it provides an easy and accessible way to come back to the present:
- When rumination drags you into the past
- When free-floating worries send you flitting into the future.
- When life throws you something unexpected
- When you’re exhausted, run-down and fed up
- When you suspect you can’t keep going
- When you’re feeling overwhelmed
- When your anxiety starts spiralling
- When you’re troubled by unwanted thoughts
- When you’re distressed by bad memories or flashbacks
- When you feel disoriented or detached
- When you’re triggered by past trauma
- When you become aware you’re dissociating
Though grounding is something people feel most drawn to in times of crisis, it is, in fact, most effective when used it as a daily practice.
Can you use habit stacking to make grounding a part of every day? For example, you might do some deep breathing while waiting in the coffee queue, take a short nature walk at lunch time, or journal for five minutes before turning out the light at bedtime.
Doing something to ‘ground’ yourself like this allows you to set your own priorities and not get yanked about by external forces.
Grounding is about coming back to yourself.
What are the 5 main benefits of grounding?
Grounding carries multiple benefits:
Grounding short-circuits the sympathetic nervous system
Ever feel like you’re so stressed you just can’t think straight? Your brain has probably launched you into a state of fight, flight, freeze or fawn. Grounding helps to return you to a parasympathetic (‘rest and digest’) state. It helps you slow down, calm down, and coax your frontal lobes back online.
Grounding helps you stay centred and focussed in a fast-moving world
Anchoring yourself in the here and now clears away distractions. When life feels overwhelming, grounding lets you remain balanced and aligned with your inner wisdom, no matter what chaos is going on around you.
Grounding supports us to tap into our inner strength to overcome obstacles and challenges.
Grounding supports a calm and composed state of mind in the face of adversity. By being fully present, you can assess situations more effectively, make informed decisions, and turn difficulties, mistakes, and challenges into opportunities for growth.
Grounding helps us cope with life’s friction points
Grounding helps release tension, maintain emotional balance, and prevents small issues from escalating into bigger ones. It ensures you preserve your energy reserves, build resilience, and sustain well-being. It supports you to tackle life’s challenges without feeling drained.
Grounding allows us soar to new heights
This one might sound contradictory, but rootedness in the ‘right now’ provides a stable platform for future growth. Grounding thus allows you to rise above challenges, find a sense of equanimity, and reach your highest potential.
9 ways to ground yourself, based on science
There is no ‘right’ way to engage in grounding techniques. It’s about what makes you feel most calm and relaxed, so it’s worth testing out a range of different strategies. Some will resonate strongly, others will seem appealing only in certain situations, while still others won’t gel with you at all.
The bottom line is that the more tools you keep in your toolkit, the more effectively you’ll be able to ground yourself, no matter what curveball life has thrown your way.
Here are some starting points.
Physical grounding techniques
These strategies to bring your focus back to the present moment by engaging your body. They are sensory, tactile, and sometimes even messy.
Connect with nature
Connecting with nature is one of the most nurturing forms of grounding that there is. Walk barefoot on the sand, lie on the grass, or stare at the stars at night.
Do a body scan
A body scan allows you to systemically shift attention to different parts of your body. Sometimes you’ll be led by the sensations you experience; other times you’ll work from your head to toes.
Get your hands dirty
Gardening is a great grounding activity that’s been shown to reduce anger, fatigue, and depression and anxiety symptoms. So plant, dig, rake, weed, mulch, or prune to your heart’s content.
Mental grounding techniques
Think of these grounding techniques as mental redirections. They will shift your thoughts away from distressing feelings and back to the present.
54321 grounding exercise
Use your senses to identify 5 things you hear, 4 things you see, 3 things you can touch from where you’re sitting, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.
Write in a journal
Writing about your thoughts and feelings can help you process emotions and feel more grounded. There are no rules to journal writing. Let your stream of consciousness flow.
Recite a poem or quote you know by heart
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan … is my personal go-to.
Whether it’s a favourite poem, passage from a book, quote or even a song, recite it softly to yourself, feeling the shape of each word on your lips.
Emotional grounding techniques
Emotional grounding techniques are designed to comfort you in times of distress or overwhelm. They can promote good feelings which might dial down the negative feelings.
Create art
Drawing, painting or sculpting can offer powerful grounding experiences. Don’t focus too much on the final ‘product’ – just enjoy the sense of the clay, the paint or the pencil in your hands.
Connect with animals
Spending time with animals, especially those that dwell close to the Earth like dogs, horses, cows, chickens, or other farm animals, can be especially soothing and grounding.
Touch something comforting
You might reach for a favourite blanket, a fluffy pair of socks, or even a well-worn T-shirt. Anything that feels good to touch can bring you back to the present moment.
Supercharge your grounding efforts
It can take some time and experimentation before you find the grounding techniques that best work for you. Choose and select the tools you add to your toolkit with time, care and a sense of calm.
Here’s how get more out of these tips and techniques.
Practice makes perfect
Practice different grounding techniques not just in a crisis, but when you’re feeling good. Getting familiar with an exercise before there’s an urgent need for it may make it more effective in the long run. You’ll also reduce your propensity to crisis with dedicated grounding practice.
Conduct check-ins
It’s easy to write something off as ineffective if you have no way of measuring it. Before and after a grounding exercise, rate your distress on a 1 to 10 scale. Considering the ‘before and after’ numbers provides important information on whether a specific technique is working for you.
Consult a psychologist
Grounding is a great tool, but it can only take you so far. If you need help implementing grounding techniques, or regularly find yourself in a state of distress, specialist input might be required.
In conclusion
Grounding is a powerful practice that can help you maintain balance and focus. While it sounds counterintuitive, grounding can also help you soar by providing a stable foundation from which to begin. Incorporating grounding techniques into your daily routine can help you overcome challenges, reach greater heights and achieve your goals with quiet confidence.
Enjoy getting grounded!