Get grounded: How a simple practice can release anxiety and improve focus

Are you regularly experiencing an overthinking mind, restlessness, anxiety or feeling disconnected? Or would you say it’s more a feeling of weakness, low self-esteem or depression? Either way, you’re probably longing for clarity, strength and relaxation. Practising “grounding” can get you there.

Being grounded is a state where our thoughts are calm, our bodies are relaxed yet energised, and our emotions flow freely without being suppressed or rejected. Grounding is something that needs practice and, with experience, gradually deepens and becomes more stable.

We can say that practising grounding is a matter of emotional hygiene! Just like we take regular showers, we need to keep practising it to feel centred and refreshed.

Let’s explore this topic further.

Causes of feeling ungrounded

One of the most significant factors that leads us to lose our grounding quickly is our modern, technology-driven lifestyle, particularly in urban environments where we often spend long hours in front of screens. Our surroundings are filled with stimuli that can disrupt our body-mind balance, leaving us feeling ungrounded and out of touch with nature. It has become a rare occasion that we plant our bare feet on fresh earth and consciously breathe the clear forest air.

However, this isn’t the only cause. Another major component of feeling ungrounded is a deep-seated sense of unsafety that gets stored in the body. Early traumas or unresolved childhood experiences tend to wire our nervous system to contract as a survival mechanism. What I mean when I refer to trauma is intense emotions that, at the time, we couldn’t process or release and then have gotten trapped in the body.

What are grounding practices, and how can you benefit from their therapeutic effects?

Whatever your difficulties may be in life - self-esteem, addiction, depression, anxiety, conflicts, anger issues, fear, feeling blocked and so on - the root of it lies in the emotions stored in the body. Grounding practices help make you feel safe enough internally to address these suppressed emotions. Often, talking therapy alone is not enough, and combining it with body-oriented practices helps you go deeper in solving your problem.

Therapeutic and spiritual practices like movement meditation, bioenergetics, breathing exercises or body shaking focus on strengthening a sense of presence while also facilitating emotional release through the body. These practices are crucial for encouraging the body to open up. When done mindfully, tensions and emotions are somatically processed (soma = the body experienced from within), allowing the autonomic nervous system to release trapped energies.

This is a gradual process that requires both time and patience but brings more stable relaxation, emotional flow, calmness and a sense of centredness.

Connect to body, mind and emotions: An example

To truly connect for grounding, we must tune into the body’s sensations in real-time. Grounding is rooted in a healthy connection between the body and mind. This is a real art, because we are usually lost in our thoughts and thus miss the natural impulses of the body that help regulate ourselves.

All too often, we push the body based on preconceived ideas, treating it as an object instead of a subject. But what if the mind acted as the "secretary" and the body as the "boss"? This shift would create a simpler, more fulfilling life, where the mind listens to the body instead of dictating its own needs.

For example, sometimes the body may crave rest instead of exercise, or desire something we intend to avoid.

To practice an attuned and holistic self-connection, you can ask yourself questions about decisions you need to make in your daily life, such as:

• Do I feel like going to the gym today?
• Do I truly want to eat this meal?
• Do I feel called to join this new course?
• Do I genuinely like this person?

Rather than answering with a thought, take a moment to breathe, close your eyes and focus on connecting with your body. Feel the answer in your physical sensations.

Take time to notice how your body responds. It will communicate in its own language: sensations and impulses. You may feel tension, tightness, or a sense of drained energy. Or you might experience a feeling of spaciousness, joy, or a burst of vitality.

Pause again to interpret these physical responses and translate them into thoughts. With time and practice, understanding and trusting your body’s genuine impulses will become easier.

Start getting grounded today

Grounding could become your new healthy habit - a way of life that supports balance, resilience and inner peace. In a world that constantly pulls us away from ourselves, reconnecting with our body, mind, and emotions is an act of self-care. It allows you to dive deeper into your issues and begin the healing process.

Not sure where to begin? Why not slip off your shoes and take a walk on the grass in your garden? There's no better time to begin than right now.

Do you want some support? While practising grounding in a group setting might feel intimidating at first, it can be incredibly beneficial. A group can help break the isolation, foster new connections, and even make the process enjoyable!

By weaving simple grounding techniques into your daily routine, you'll cultivate a greater sense of clarity, relaxation, and connection - and rediscover the truth behind A. Lowen’s words: “The primary nature of every human being is to be open to life and love.”