Grounding yourself to bring peace and ease
The idea of grounding oneself may seem like a foreign concept to most in this busy economic world that we live in. Indeed, some of us may not even have heard of it, let alone include it in our daily routine. Grounding is as important to our emotional and mental health as an anchor is important to a ship at sea. We lead very busy lives that it can be easy to lose ourselves amidst the activities and responsibilities. That’s why it is ever so important to take the time to shift your attention to things that bring you a feeling of ease, relaxation and enjoyment.
What is grounding?
According to Wikipedia, “...ground is a reference point in an electrical circuit from which voltages are measured, a common return path for electric current, or a direct physical connection to the earth.” Just as electricity returns to the earth, returning to our basal state is the most natural thing in life; the state we’re in when we are most relaxed and at ease. For some it could be the moments upon first waking up. For others, it could be when we take a stroll in the park or when we are engaging in a hobby with friends. Reading a book in bed or listening to your favourite music can also ground you. These activities are all different points of return from a busy, stressful day to a tension-free state. Why is grounding so important for a healthy life?
Awareness of where our attention lies
At any given point in a day, most of our attention is focused outwards—on our work, our family, our financial planning—that we end up existing in the future rather than the present. It is common for us to keep our phones on call for work and other emergencies. While this constant state of being ready and “turned on” for action is an active expression of a successful person, it can also take a toll on our health if we are unable to switch it off. Ideally this active attention should be balanced with the ability to turn off but with our responsibilities and high smart phone usage, it can be challenging. Sometimes it’s not just our work commitments that take up our energy but it is also our family commitments when we return home to at the end of the day. Just as the lights never dim in our cities, our modern life also becomes one of constant activity.
Bringing ourselves back to earth
More than ever, it has become important to give ourselves the time to switch off and engage in some enjoyable hobbies. It may sound counter-intuitive but having fun and relaxing is as much our responsibility as is our work. In fact, the way we’re brought up to be responsible adults means many people struggle with the concept of having fun. Being joyful and having fun is tantamount to irresponsibility. This mindset that fun is irresponsible can be confronting at best. One side of us may want to enjoy life, the other side may know that it is not easily accepted. How did we, as a society, come to this conclusion, is a curious matter.
Allowing ourselves to have fun in life doesn’t retract from our responsibilities, in fact, it supports it. It improves our daily living, especially when one is living with high stress. It also boosts our emotional flexibility and mental resilience needed to survive and indeed thrive through the trials of life. Doing enjoyable activities with friends not just releases serotonin which makes us happy, it reminds us of the feeling of ease which can interrupt our constant state of tension and regulate us back to a tension free life.
Grounding ourselves helps us thrive
When we learn to ground ourselves and consciously do it with discipline, it increases our overall enjoyment and success. Often by shifting our attention to the simple things in life, we begin to lose the tight influence that stress and complicated things have over us. It allows us to take a step back from the overwhelm of day-to-day life and have a breather, giving us the space to make that tiny shift in perspective. When we do that, we relook at the situation with fresh eyes, perhaps seeing for the first time a new interpretation of the situation. It begins to have a semblance of normalcy and even possibility. It can bring the most overwhelmed person back to oneself because our world doesn’t seem as overwhelming and as challenging anymore.
If and when we do suffer a setback, the resilience that comes from our connection to the earth means that we can bounce back easily from the trials of life, no matter what comes. Oftentimes it is not the high stress and tension necessarily that causes so many health problems but more the inability to regulate ourselves down from it. Being able to shift and unstuck oneself in hardship are skills that not just help us survive, they help us thrive through life, giving us more opportunities to live fully.
Our flexibility to respond to external challenges—whether it is being laid off in a job, a breakup with someone you love, a serious family crisis—means that we become confident to take life head on. We learn not to be afraid of challenges. Instead of shying away from them, we develop the courage to lean into them, meeting life with a newness and intensity that we’ve never done before. This sense of possibility, hope and freshness can be life changing to say the least. Perhaps, it is even soul changing.
Returning to the state of ease
What helps us relax may be different for each and every one of us but all of them point to one thing; simplicity. As the saying goes, “It’s the simple things in life that matter most.” The path back to earth is always the shortest and the most simplest, just as electricity takes the route of least resistance.
What simple activity gives you pleasure in life? Can you discipline yourself to enjoy the little moments in life?
Perhaps with as full as we pack our days, rushing from one responsibility to another, this little change of perspective is all that is needed to make the shift and bring the ease into our lives that we deserve.