If you feel flighty or unable to remember the last time that you weren’t just going through the motions of life, it’s a good sign that you need time to ground. The act of grounding is a way to connect with the present moment, as opposed to thinking and anticipating the future. For women, the pressures of everyday life and striving to constantly do more and fix things can lead to feelings of overwhelm and exhaustion. By coming back to your true, authentic self, you can live a life full of purpose while feeling ease.
Here are four daily grounding techniques every woman can use to improve her mental health.
1. Breathwork
The breath is a powerful tool. However, we often take our breath for granted. We don’t think about inhaling and exhaling until we’re relying on it. Running to catch the bus increases our heart rate and, therefore, our breath intensifies. Chasing our kids in the park or climbing a set of steep stairs has us catching our breath. But the breath can do much more than just keep our heart pumping with oxygen.
Intentional breathwork is a way to center yourself, calm the mind and body, and ground into the present moment. Slow, deep breaths activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a state of relaxation and ease. With this, stress hormones decrease. The body has a chance to move out of a state of alert and instead enter into a sense of deep recovery.
Best of all, you don’t need any fancy tools or wellness gadgets to start your breathwork practice. All you need is yourself and a few minutes. You can find a quiet place in your home to get into deep breathing, or you can practice the technique while on the go. Slow your breath, counting each inhale and exhale. Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest to really ground and find your center. A few short minutes of deliberate breathing is all you need to slow down and come back to your present mind and body.
2. Affirmations
Everyone is guilty of negative self-talk, and yet it can be toxic and eventually lead to worsened anxiety or depression. These mental health conditions can be addressed in therapy or counseling or may require additional support, such as seeking treatment at the Pathways Rehab Center. During these treatments, the professional may suggest using affirmations as a tool to reframe self-defeating thoughts and turn them into self-enhancing ones.
Affirmations rewire the brain, helping form new neural connections. With repetition, you’ll slowly start to actively replace any negative thoughts or feelings with more positive statements. An affirmation practice can help you feel more grounded because it helps you stay present and calm.
To start incorporating affirmations into your routine, identify your personal goals and values. Reflect on them by writing short, present-tense positive statements. For instance, if your goal is to be a loving, compassionate mother, then an affirmation you could repeat is “I am doing my best” or “I am the right parent for my daughter.” Note that your affirmations will change over time, as you grow as a person.
3. Mindful Eating
When was the last time you ate a meal with a screen in front of you? Everyone is guilty of responding to emails and taking calls while shoveling food into their mouth during lunchtime. At night, it’s tempting to scroll on social media while mindlessly fueling, while the TV blares in the background.
Mindful eating is a way to refocus on your body’s hunger and fullness cues, tuning in to what your body is craving and how you’re nourishing it through food. By connecting you to the present moment, mindful eating can be a beneficial grounding practice. It increases body awareness, reduces mental distraction, and encourages intentionality. Focusing on each bite, with the utensils in hand and your feet on the floor, you’ll come to appreciate your food as nourishment instead of just pure sustenance.
Again, mindful eating can be practiced anytime, anywhere. Start by minimizing all distractions around you. This may require you to block off 20 or 30 minutes on your calendar for an actual lunch break. Then, begin to eat slowly and engage all of your senses, noticing the smells of the food and the flavors you’re enjoying. Chew slowly, around 25 or 30 times per bite, to encourage you to slow down. It may take some time to get used to eating in this manner, but soon enough, you’ll begin to value your mealtimes even more.
4. Movement
The body is designed to move. However, the habits of everyday life have many living a mostly sedentary lifestyle. Driving to work in a car, sitting at a desk for eight hours, coming home, and watching television on the couch give little time for intentional movement. That said, women who can prioritize exercise and moving the body in one way or another will feel more grounded and centered.
Movement doesn’t necessarily require you to sign up for the next neighborhood 10K or dedicate yourself to a strenuous routine. Stretching and walking can be a great place to start, especially for those newer to their movement journey. If you’re able, get outside and practice your movement. Go for a walk around the block instead of jumping on a treadmill, or sign up for an outdoor park yoga class instead of tuning into one from YouTube. Doing so will increase your endorphins, or the feel-good hormones responsible for improving mood.
If you’re neglecting movement or keep telling yourself that you’ll get to it tomorrow, it may be time to find one that you actually enjoy. Think back to the sports and activities you loved as a child. You may just find yourself picking up your forgotten tennis racket and signing up for the after-work hitting clinic, or going to the upbeat cycling studio with a friend.