7 Easy Ways to Ground Yourself

Spring is in the air.

With the influx of warm, gorgeous weather, it’s natural to be really giddy. It’s easy to get engulfed by the fair weather frenzy and feel utterly ungrounded.

In addition to the shift of seasons, there was a full moon and a powerful solar flare this week as well; both of which are known for their mysterious and peculiar influences on human consciousness.

Side note: Without going off on a big tangent, just know that we’re essentially blind to the spectrum of forces that are affecting us. What we perceive and measure is based upon the observation of three-dimensional reality with our five (quite limited) senses. We process an infinitesimally small sliver of “reality” through these human mind-body computers. Everything is fundamentally an interaction of energy, frequency and vibration (ourselves included). But it really comes down to this… Be aware of your state of being and act out of that place of awareness. That’s what this article is all about.

Now back to the topic at hand…

Being grounded is one of those terms that is tossed around a lot in so-called “spiritual” circles. And everyone has a slightly different definition for it. To me, being grounded means having full-body awareness (not being too “in your head” or “woo woo” or “floating in the clouds”) and being connected with nature.

If you’re still a little unsure of what I’m talking about, here are some signs of being ungrounded:
You feel spacey or even a little dizzy.
You find it hard to finish tasks.
You can’t concentrate.
You find it hard to make yourself understood.
You find it hard to understand others.
You get distracted or your mind wanders.
You lose track of time.
(source)

Everyone has experienced at least some of those symptoms from time-to-time. Here’s what to do about it…

“I tell them there’s no problem, only solutions.” – John Lennon

The Solution (7 Easy Ways to Ground Yourself)

1. Spend some time barefoot on the Earth – Even if you can’t get out in nature, just walking barefoot on a patch of grass will do the trick. It sounds so simple, but it’s incredibly effective and feels amazing. Watch the documentary Grounded for an in depth look at this.

2. Deep breathing – When isn’t this a solution?

3. Working out (resistance training) – Leg workouts are especially grounding. This “grounds” you both into your body and the Earth.

4. Turn off the technology – Too much tech will throw your hormones out of whack, make you dazed, robotic and too “in your head.” Take periodic breaks from technology and connect with your inner self and mother nature.

5. Eat grounding food – Anything with roots and anything that resonates with the root chakra is grounding. These include root vegetables, animal proteins (preferably grass-fed and organic) and red-colored foods. Minerals help with grounding as well (so don’t shy away from sprinkling some Himalayan pink salt on everythang). Also, make sure you’re eating enough food, as caloric restriction is ungrounding.

6. Watch the sunrise or sunset – The awe, the wonder, the captivating beauty. Something about the times of dawn and dusk are simply magical. And watching the sunrise or sunset will sync you up with the natural cycles of the Earth.

7. Go hiking – Getting out in nature is the absolute best thing you can do to ground yourself. Do not underestimate how powerful this is for your overall well-being.

My Personal Experience

Earlier this week, I found myself unable to concentrate or focus on anything. I noticed it on Monday, but on Tuesday there was no getting around it. I had the attention span of a goldfish. I couldn’t sit still. I couldn’t concentrate on the simplest of tasks at work. And the act of writing seemed as insurmountable as catching Mewtwo with a regular pokeball. It was frustrating, to say the least.

However, I’ve recently come to the realization that it’s useless to resist the flow of life and try to swim upstream. I’ve learned that everything works out when I sail with the currents of life, not against them.

When you can’t change the direction of the wind — adjust your sails” – H. Jackson Brown

So I decided to lean into the natural cycles and embrace my need for groundedness, as opposed to forcing myself to focus on digits on a computer screen.

What I did to reverse feeling ungrounded within 24 hours of noticing it:
1. I gave up on trying to accomplish anything. I acknowledged my state of being without resisting it.
2. I worked out (heavy deadlifts have quite the grounding effect).
3. I went on a sunset hike in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with good company (see the picture below).
4. After the hike, I ate… A lot. (Hooray for Carb Backloading)

Then before I knew it, I found myself more productive at work and effortlessly writing this post. No rigid forcefulness required.

Grow powerful wings to fly. But also grow powerful talons for when you need to perch upon the Earth.

Be as liberated and limitless as a mythical dragon, yet as deeply rooted as a mighty tree.

Stay free. Stay balanced. Stay rooted.

Keep feelin’ good, feelin’ great.

– Stevie P!