Grounding Yourself in Ungrounded Times

These are stressful times. Yes, I know that is a platitude, but unfortunately it is also true. No one, regardless of financial circumstances, political persuasion or other life circumstances is immune from the stressors affecting us all today. Between the pandemic and the election alone it would be easy to fall into a pit of anxiety and despair. So it is more important than ever to have a variety of coping strategies quickly and easily at your disposal. 
 
Here is a simple exercise you can do to help calm your nervous system and re-ground yourself. Give yourself at least 10 minutes the first time you do it. Be patient with yourself if your mind wanders or it is hard to focus. Over time it will get easier. 
 

1. Focus your attention on the present moment and the present moment only. To do this, look around you and put your hand on something solid – a table, your chair, anything tangible. Feel the way your hand feels on the object. Ground yourself in your space and remind yourself that in this moment you are fine. The present moment is all any of us truly have. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow hasn’t come. All we ever really have is the present moment. 
2. Place your feet squarely on the floor, sit in a comfortable, upright position and close your eyes. Take 10 long, slow breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Count each breath, beginning with the number 1. Exaggerate the breath out just enough so that all of your focus is on your breath. Just doing this will calm your nervous system.
3. Once you have centered yourself with your breath, bring into your awareness a person with whom you feel safe and loved. This person can be a family member, a friend, a mentor, just as long as it is someone who makes you feel seen, safe and loved. As you visualize this person, notice the way it feels to be in their presence. Notice how your body feels, notice where in your body you feel your connection to this person. 
4. Deepen into the feeling in your body that arises as you visualize your connection to this person. Breathe into that part of your body and let the feeling grow. You can imagine the feeling spreading gently throughout your body, relaxing your muscles, and encircling you in warmth and support.
5. Bring your awareness back to your breath. Begin counting your breaths backwards, beginning from the number 10. With each breath, reinforce the feeling of support and safety you have connected with in your body. On your IN breath imagine the feeling expanding within you. On your exhale, imagine it settling into your being. When you get the number 1, bring a slight smile to your lips and rest for a moment in that position. Feel the lightness in your being. Open your eyes. 

 
The purpose of the exercise is to help you learn how to connect to a place within yourself that feels safe and supported. Everything is easier to manage when coming from this place. Over time the exercise will get easier and easier.  You will be able to drop into this place of calm and support quickly and easily. It just takes practice.