There is something about October that naturally invites reflection.
The harvest is ending. Gardens are being put to bed. Leaves change colour, release from the trees and eventually become part of the earth beneath them. The days shorten, temperatures cool, and the tremendous outward energy of summer begins to settle. Nature changes its rhythm.
My thought is maybe we can too!
For many of us, however, our daily rhythm doesn't change very much with the seasons. We wake up and almost immediately begin taking in information. Phones, messages, schedules, work, family, news and responsibilities can have our attention before we have even noticed how we ourselves are feeling. What would happen if we reversed that order? What if, before checking in with the outside world, we checked in with ourselves?
Start With the Body
Grounding doesn't have to mean sitting perfectly still for 30 minutes with an empty mind. It can be much simpler. Grounding is about bringing your attention back to the present moment and noticing what is happening within you and around you right now. Your body can be a wonderful place to begin. Before trying to analyze how you feel, notice something physical. How does your breath feel? Are your shoulders relaxed or lifted? Is your jaw tight? Do you feel rested, energetic, heavy, rushed or settled? Are you hungry or thirsty? Does your body want movement, quiet, warmth or fresh air? This isn't about diagnosing every sensation or trying to make it disappear. It is simply information.
Sometimes the most powerful shift is moving from "What's wrong?" to "What am I noticing?"
A Simple Morning Grounding Routine
Before reaching for your phone in the morning, try giving yourself just three to five minutes.
Begin by placing your feet on the floor and noticing the support underneath them.
Take three comfortable, unhurried breaths. You don't need to force yourself to breathe particularly deeply. Simply notice the inhale and the exhale.
Then ask yourself:
What am I noticing in my body this morning?
Next:
How am I feeling?
And finally:
What would support me today?
Your answer doesn't have to be profound. Maybe you need water, breakfast before coffee, a stretch, to move more slowly, or you realize that you are thinking about many different things that haven’t happened… take a moment to notice breath and choose what is next. Then begin your day.
Explore What Helps You Feel Anchored
There isn't one grounding technique that works for everyone. Part of learning to regulate ourselves is discovering what feels supportive in our body rather than doing something simply because we have been told it should be relaxing.
Here are a few things you might explore.
Breath: Take several easy breaths and make the exhale slightly longer and softer than the inhale. Don't worry about counting perfectly. Let the breath be comfortable.
Feet and physical sensation: Feel both feet against the floor. Notice pressure, temperature and texture. Wiggle your toes. Shift your weight gently from side to side. Physical sensation can bring attention out of racing thoughts and back into the present.
Gentle movement: Roll your shoulders, stretch your arms overhead, walk around the house or step outside. For some people, movement feels far more grounding than sitting still.
Nature: Look at the sky. Stand beside a tree. Listen to the wind. Notice the temperature of the air. Take a walk without making the walk another task to accomplish.
Sound: Quiet music, humming, singing, nature sounds or simply sitting without background noise may help you settle.
Touch: Place a hand over your chest or abdomen, wrap yourself in a warm blanket, hold a warm mug or gently massage your hands. Notice the sensation rather than trying to create a particular outcome.
Regulation Isn't About Being Calm All the Time
This may be the most important part. Being grounded doesn't mean nothing bothers you. It doesn't mean you never become frustrated, worried, overwhelmed or tired. And it certainly doesn't mean shutting yourself off from what is happening around you. It means developing the ability to notice yourself within it.
It is important to note that there is a difference between responding to what is happening around us and being completely swept away by it.
That tiny moment of awareness, I notice I'm holding my breath, that my shoulders are tense, I'm getting overwhelmed or that I need a moment creates space. And within that space, we sometimes have more choice about what comes next.
Create Your Own "Return to Me" Practice
Instead of creating another complicated wellness routine, choose three things that genuinely work for you.
Perhaps yours becomes:
Breathe. Feel my feet. Step outside.
Someone else's might be:
Stretch. Drink water. Sit quietly.
And another persons could be:
Walk. Music. Nature.
The goal isn't to perform grounding correctly. The goal is to discover what helps you reconnect with yourself. Try different things. Notice how you feel before and afterward. Keep what helps and let go of what doesn't.
Hey, perhaps that is another lesson we can borrow from autumn. The tree doesn't hold onto every leaf simply because it grew it.
As we move into this next season, perhaps we can become a little more intentional about what we hold onto as well. Before taking in everyone else's needs, opinions, emotions and expectations, come home to yourself for a moment. Feel your feet, notice your body, take a breath, ask yourself what you need, then step into the world. Grounding from within first and letting everything else come second.
Have fun with this, it is so simple yet so powerful.
Colleen Hurst
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Lymph In Motion
Colleen Hurst
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