15 Ways to Stay Grounded in times of Stress

To stay grounded will have a big positive effect on your experience of life.
But staying grounded and calm in difficult times is easier said than done. Because sometimes life just becomes stressful. Maybe you are going through a change, really have a lot to do or dealing with a difficult situation. Especially in those difficult times in life it is easy to become stressed and ungrounded. It is also that time that it’s extra important to make sure you stay grounded. 

 

What does being Grounded mean?

Being mentally grounded means that you are in control of your thoughts, emotions and completely accept reality as it is. To feel grounded is to feel connected with your whole body, feeling fully present and feel balanced within yourself. You stand firmly with both feet on the ground, feel centered and safe. Being grounded is a warm and calm feeling where you feel peaceful within your own body.

When you are grounded it is much easier to deal with stressful situations. Even if there still are problems or changes going on around you, you feel safe and calm within. You’re mind is a safe place and you do not get swept away by your emotions or outside disturbances so easily. Being grounded makes you more aware of the present moment and keeps you calm and mentally stable when you need to.

 

Being ungrounded

To be ungrounded is the opposite of being grounded. If you are experiencing some or many of the signs below, you may be ungrounded. 

• Feeling anxious or nervous
• Easily overwhelmed by thoughts, emotions or external factors
• Cold, especially the feet and lower part of the body
• More sensitive than usual
• Difficulties to focus or concentrate
• Shallow breathing
• Overthinking things
• Feeling ”spaced out” in your mind
• Not feeling present
• Not feeling fully in the body

Being ungrounded can make you feel more stressed, unbalanced and uncertain when you are going through difficulties or changes in life. That is why it is so important to make sure you stay grounded especially in times of stress. Because when you are grounded it becomes so much easier to deal with everything and you feel safe and balanced within, no matter what happens externally.

 

The benefits of being Grounded

Taking some time to ground yourself every morning helps you create a feeling of stability, calmness and balance. It will then make it easier to deal with negative emotions, stress and upcoming challenges during the rest of the day . 

When you are grounded it becomes easier to not take things personally. It will also help you in keeping a clear and calm mind. A clear mind will help you to not overthink every little thing going on around you and trying to to control it. 

Overthinking and trying to control what is happening creates a lot of unnecessary stress. Because we just can’t control everything going on around us. The only thing we can control is our own reaction to that what is happening. 

Except for emotional well-being, staying grounded also has a lot of physical health benefits! Because when you are grounded you are more capable of coping with stress. There for you’ll sleep better, have more energy and feel stronger! The decrease in stress levels will make your body and mind work better and you’ll be a healthier version of yourself.  

15 Ways to stay Grounded

Here are 15 good tips to help you stay grounded during stressful times.
My favorite tips are definitely nr 2, nr 5 and nr 6! They always make me feel warm, calm and grounded afterwards.

1. Cut down on social media.

Scrolling and seeking distraction on social media can make you feel ungrounded because you disconnect yourself from your surroundings. It may help with the stressful feelings in the moment but it will not help you to stay grounded and deal with stress in the long run.

My personal rule is no phone before breakfast/10 am! That way I have time to wake up, practice mindfulness and eat breakfast while being fully present. It feels so good to take it slow and be mindful in the mornings, and starting the day on my terms instead of the latest happenings on my phone.

 

2. Meditate.

Meditation is a great technique to get present, stay grounded and clear your mind! Get quiet and focus on your breathing, follow a guided meditation or do a visualization.

My favorite grounding visualization is to imagine roots growing down from my body into the earth with every out breath. Imagine the roots to be strong and growing deep into the core of the earth, where you anchor them. In the core of the earth there is a big ball of fire burning really bright, and you inhale that bright earth energy through your roots and into your body. 

My friend Jim Onstenk has made a beautiful meditation track that I love to use for this type of grounding visualization and meditation in general! The track is 20 min long and made with a special instrument called a Kalimba. Listen to his soothing Kalimba meditation music here! 

• Follow Jim on Instagram

3. Eat regularly and healthy.

Eat regular and healthy meals to keep your body and mind nourished and grounded. Don’t skip meals as it leads to unstable blood sugar levels which can make you feel nervous and light headed. Also cut out unhealthy carbs, sugar, alcohol and caffeine as they can spike anxiety. Make sure you include a healthy fat in every meal as well to keep your blood sugar levels stable.

Another great tip to stay grounded is to eat warming foods and avoid foods that make you cold. A really grounding and soothing drink is Golden milk! Golden milk is a warm, healthy and nourishing drink that tastes delicious and makes you feel so calm and cozy after drinking it. 

• Read How to make Golden Milk

 

4. Oil your body with sesame oil.

Oiling your body is massaging oil into the skin on your entire body. You can use different type of oils, but sesame oil is a very nourishing oil that makes you feel warm and grounded. As a bonus, oiling your body with sesame oil will make your skin incredibly soft!

Massaging sesame oil into your skin improves circulation, as it gets the blood flow going and energy flowing through your whole body. Also touching your feet and legs connects you and makes you aware of the lower part of your body, which is often cold or stiff when we are ungrounded. If you don’t have time to oil your whole body, you can also just oil just feet.

• Get Organic sesame oil.

 

5. Epsom salt foot baths.

If you want to feel warm, calm and super grounded, Epsom salt foot baths are your best friend. For me it really does wonders! My racing mind calms down, I get aware of my whole body and I feel super relaxed.

It is the magnesium in the Epsom salt that gets absorbed by your skin and makes both your mind and body calm down. Also the hot water will make you feel extra warm and cozy.
You can make this grounding foot bath extra luxurious by adding calming essential oils! Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Cedarwood and Ylang Ylang are some examples of grounding essential oils.

• Get Elexirs Epsom salt.
• Get Organic essential oils.

6. Exercise.

This tip is one of the quickest ways to get grounded (especially when doing an epsom salt foot bath afterwards!). Whenever you feel anxious and ungrounded, do a sweaty workout and I guarantee that you will feel so much better afterwards. When we move we get in touch with our body, feel stronger and feel good by all the endorphins released in our body.

Running, weight lifting or something that really gets the blood pumping and sweat running is what you are aiming for here!

 

7. Connect with a friend.

It’s really tempting to hide inside and isolate yourself when you are not feeling your best. But meeting up and talking with family or friends can really help you to get you out of your little bubble and bring some perspective into your life!

Spend time with people you love, enjoy the present moment and stay grounded. Positive social support plays a big role in a persons resilience to stress! However make sure you meet up with people who make you feel good, and not those who make you feel tired and negative afterwards.

 

8. Practice gratitude.

Focus on the good and express what you are grateful for in your life right now. This trains your brain to be more aware of all the good things surrounding you and makes your mind more positive! Studies have shown that practicing gratitude is effective in increasing ones overall happiness.

Practicing gratitude is a great way to lift your mood and ground you by focusing on all the good in the present moment!

• Read 10 ways to practice gratitude here

9. Sleep enough.

Sleep is super important for our well-being, especially in stressful times. You should aim for at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday to create a good sleep routine. 

It is essential that we get enough sleep to feel good, deal with daily life and stay grounded without getting stressed out. If you feel stressed and ungrounded, try to go to bed before 10 pm three days in a row and see what that does to you. Often a lot of problems will simply disappear from your mind after one or a few nights of good sleep.

 

10. Connect yourself to positive energy.

When you are feeling ungrounded and anxious it is not the best time to watch scary horror movies or read dark murder stories. Darkness and drama can be fun, but when you are not grounded it can drag you down to a lower vibration and make you feel worse. 

When you feel ungrounded it is time to connect with positivity and the good things around you. Good friends, feel good movies, happy books and beautiful music can all inspire you and make your heart feel a little lighter. 

 

11. Create routines.

Daily routines can create a little peace in your day to day life. That because it creates a feeling of certainty and stability when you know what to expect, which can be really grounding especially in hectic times. You can create a morning routine, evening routine, workout routine, eating routine, sleeping routine etc. 

Creating routines is a very good tool to stay grounded, as it creates a sense of peace and comfort when you have certain familiar reference points in your day. The familiarity of a routine helps you feel at ease and makes your nervous system able to relax.

 

12. Become more present.

When we are worrying about the future or dwelling on the past we are not grounded in the present moment. To get present we need to get out of our head and focus on what is going on right now. 

If you think about it, worrying is really unnecessary because it does not change a thing about the future. It will only make you more stressed and disconnected from the present moment. Practice ways to become more present to get grounded, aware and better at enjoying life exactly as it is right now. 

• Read 10 Tips to become more Present.

 

13. Connect with nature.

Nature has so much to offer and one of those things is grounding. One of the best ways to physically get grounded is to get your bare feet on the earth. Feel your feet on the ground, balance your weight on different parts of your feet, feel the ground underneath you and just breathe. 

This technique is called ”earthing”. It literally connects your feet to the earth, and there’s some serious research about the health benefits of doing this. Earthing reconnects you to the earth electronically by exchanging electrons between your body and the ground. So go outside, get barefoot and nature will leave you feel more grounded in return.

• Read: 10 Ways to connect with the Earth

14. Don’t take to much on your plate.

There’s always so much to do. You could run through life going from one task to another. Even if you will get a lot done this way, you should not forget to slow down and take time to actually enjoy your life. It is important to take time for yourself and do something that relaxes and grounds you.

Saying yes to everyone and everything, even if you want to, will eventually lead to having to much to do. And having too much on your plate can leave your mind scattered and make you feel overwhelmed and ungrounded. Be selective in what you participate in and choose activities that nourish you and make you feel good to stay grounded.

 

15. Ice baths or cold showers.

Ice bathing has been around for ages and has a lot of health benefits. You take a dip in ice cold water and expose your body to extreme cold for a short amount of time. Even if it is quite uncomfortable, you will feel incredible afterwards! It is like a reset of the whole body and all your negative feelings like anxiety and sadness will be replaced with a calm and content feeling. The feeling of being grounded. 

One of the health benefits is that ice bathing increases the activity of your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxing the body. Regular ice bathing can there for increase our resilience to stress!
If you think ice bathing is too extreme, you can also take a shower on the coldest setting to experience a mild version of the power of the cold. 

These are all my best tips to help you stay grounded during stressful times! Also remember to not be so harsh on yourself. It is normal to not feel at the top all the time, and without the lows we can’t experience the highs.

Show compassion towards yourself and accept your feelings completely. Remind yourself that it is okay to feel and that this feeling also will pass again. You are doing your best and you can use these effective tips to try to ground yourself to feel better. 

/ By Bo Smit ♡

PS: In this blog post I’ve partnered with Jim Ontstenk. Don’t forget to check out his new Soothing Kalimba Meditation!

A Note From Bo.

I only recommend products I absolutely love & use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support!