How to ground yourself

If you are feeling scattered and stressed, take a pause and look at nature. The natural world can help anyone to return to a mental state that feels centered and balanced.

In nature, we can find great examples of how to get stable and firmly established. A mind that feels too busy and overloaded can be landed like an aircraft. You can use nature as your pilot to help you stay grounded and stable.

Grounding yourself could be as easy as finding a tree and doing these simple steps. I highly recommend you do this exercise barefoot. If you are not able to be barefoot, that is ok, you can use comfortable flat shoes.

Steps

1. Find a large tree that you can lean on. If you are able to find a tree, you can use a stable solid wall and visualize it as your tree.
2. Come close to the tree and bring your back against. the tree. Align your spine gently and mindfully against the tree.
3. Stay standing against the tree and hang out. take a few breathes and settle.
4. Close your eyes, or keep your gaze still.
5. If you feel any tension on your body, relax and adjust your body until you feel comfortable.
6. Bring your attention to your breath and first focus on your exhalation.
7. Exhale, feel your breath traveling down through your torso, legs, and feet. Move the breath down through your body and feel it entering the earth.
8. In your inhale, the breath comes up from the ground through your body all the way to your nostrils.
9. Do this exercise for 5 minutes or for as long as you have time for.
10. Open your eyes and take a slow mindful walk on the grass or the ground around the tree. Complete the exercise and say thank you to your tree.

One quote

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

Albert Einstein

One question for you:

Do you have a mindful strategy that you like to do when you feel scattered?