As someone who has always loved living in my head (reading, thinking, writing, analyzing, and yes, overanalyzing) being grounded didn’t come naturally to me. To make matters worse, I wasn’t exactly an outdoors person. My mom practically had to force me to go outside as a kid, because left to my own devices I would happily stayed inside reading for hours. (Thanks, Mom!)
Thankfully, I’ve come a long way since then. Here are some of my favorite ways to ground myself when I’ve been spending too much time in my head.
Getting grounded is an easy way to help with all of this, so I put together 25 of my favorite techniques to help you center yourself, quiet your mind, and feel more present.
To be grounded is to be fully present in your body, to be connected to the earth and the world around you, to your breath and the way it moves through your body, to be aware of your emotions and how you’re feeling. Being grounded means you remember that you live in your physical body.
By balancing the energy in your head with the energy in the rest of the body, you can connect to your feet and how they connect to the earth.
One of the quickest ways to stop overthinking is to get out of your head and back into your body.
Use your fists for a couple of minutes. We have 14,000 nerve endings on the bottoms of our feet, and this will help activate them and redistribute our energy into the feet instead of having too much energy in the head.
Tap from the hips down to the feet with your palms or fingertips (you can do this gently or more firmly). This will help energize and stimulate the Chinese meridians, or energy pathways, located on the outside of the legs. Again, it helps move the energy into the feet.
Reflexology is one of the most grounding kinds of bodywork because it’s focused on the feet. Reflexology is based on the principle that a map of the body is represented on the feet. Applying pressure to specific points stimulates the nerve endings on the feet and balances the nervous system. (Anxiety is a sign that the nervous system is out of balance.)
I created a DIY Reflexology Youtube Playlist so you can follow along.
Here are some of my favorite Reflexology gadgets.
Use sea salt or Epsom salts. This is one of the most popular spiritual (as well as physical and emotional) grounding techniques. While swimming in a lake or the ocean can powerfully connect us to the earth, a bath can be an easier option.
Try a foot bath if you don’t have a bath tub or are short on time.
I often hear this question from clients and a bath is especially good to do if you have a tendency to take on other people’s energy and emotions.
Pick ones that are grounding such as cedarwood, spruce, or pine (any essential oils from trees). I love the brand Eden’s Garden.
Experiment and do this for a week and notice how your body feels. Her Energy Routine is another helpful way for empaths to protect themselves.
Any form of exercise gets you out of your head and into your body: kick boxing, yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong, running, walking. Do the kind of exercise you enjoy and you’ll be more likely to do it regularly.
This is sometimes referred to as an isolation or flotation tank. The tank is filled with 1,000 pounds of Epsom salts, with water at skin temperature, devoid of sound and light. It can help free your mind from distraction and your body is free from gravity.
Known as the Reiki teacher’s teacher and someone who flies around the world constantly to teach, Frans knows the importance of being grounded.
Try both of his spiritually grounding techniques.
The heaviness is restorative and calming for the nervous system. I sleep more deeply and wake feeling refreshed.
Grounding isn’t just physical. Sometimes the fastest way to feel calmer is to shift your focus and change where you’re putting your attention.
Try this for a couple days or a week. This can serve as a reset, helping you evaluate the frequency of news you intake and how it affects your mindset and body.
Hint: Your mind might love the chatter and 24/7 news cycle, but your body definitely doesn’t.
Bonus: Stop listening or watching the news, and try reading it instead (particularly long-form articles that give nuance, deeper insight and a broader perspective than the soundbites that are often created to instill fear to get our attention and higher ratings.)
Try this for one day.
I have one client who was sleeping with her phone under her pillow and checking news alerts on her phone first thing when she woke up, as well as endlessly throughout the day.
These news alerts can trigger a strong fight or flight response in the nervous system. So often the full news story takes time to become available, and there’s usually nothing we can do in the moment (except feel anxious and worried which doesn’t help anyone).
This is a calming way to train the brain (Hypnosis is another).
If you don’t have a practice in place, try the free Insight Timer app. It has guided meditations for a range of issues, which can be easier than meditating in silence if you’re just starting out.
Both are a simple way to connect to your intuition and center your mind and body while helping you heal yourself and support your loved ones. Again, this is another tool for empaths to protect themselves.
Learning Reiki years ago is what finally helped me meditate regularly after years of unsuccessfully trying other methods, and becoming a Tao Hands soul healing practitioner took my meditation to deeper levels.
If you’re interested in learning these techniques for yourself, I share what to expect here:
What’s the next smallest step?
This question trains your brain to stay on track and to be as close to the present moment as possible, rather than running 20 steps ahead and getting overwhelmed. I learned this from top Hypnosis trainer John Overdurf and it changed my life.
Nature is amazing at helping us slow down, breathe more deeply, and remember we’re part of something much bigger. There are many studies supporting the benefits of being in nature and its positive impact on our physical health.
Rock, dirt, grass, sand….
For thousands of years our ancestors did this as a matter of course. The fact that this isn’t easy to do living in a big city like New York tells us something about our literal and metaphorical connection to the earth.
Spend time in nature and see how it changes your energy: walk by the river, spend time in a park, go for a hike, etc. In Japan, they call it forest bathing—immersing yourself in the forest for relaxation. The Washington Post identified it as a stress-reducing trend in the U.S.
Especially if you live in a high-rise building because you’re farther away from the earth. Our ancestors didn’t live very high up in the air…
Selenite, shungite, and black tourmaline are especially good for grounding, but experiment and follow your intuition to find what feels grounding to you. Rocks and shells are another way to anchor and ground yourself.
Energymuse recommends specific crystals and also explores the benefits of crystals for grounding.
Imagine any negative emotions or physical imbalances sinking into the earth and being recycled. A nice summer day is ideal for this…
Imagine your heart becoming calm and your feet connecting to the tree’s powerful roots beneath the soil. Don’t worry if you don’t have access to a pristine mountain forest.
Find a tree and connect with it daily–look at it and admire it, sit under it, notice how it changes with the seasons, etc.
Eating is a natural way to feel more grounded. What and how you eat also has a surprising effect on how grounded you feel.
Root vegetables, cooked foods, and hearty stews are especially grounding (as opposed to raw foods like salads). This doesn’t mean don’t eat salads, but you want to experiment and see what foods help you feel more grounded, and find a nice balance depending on the time of year and temperature, as well as what’s going on in your life.
Your body consists of 60-70% water and needs water for optimal function.
Cooking your own food is different than eating out or getting food delivered. It brings you into the present moment in a very practical way—forcing you to pay attention as you measure the ingredients, follow the details of the recipe, and keep track of timing to ensure your food doesn’t burn, etc.
You could take it a step further and reflect on where the food came from and all the people involved—from the farmer to the truck driver to the grocery store clerk—for this food to be here on your plate.
Experiment with the list above and add your own. Know that this is personalized to you and will change depending on time of year, weather, stress levels, and what’s going on in your life, etc.
Aim to do one or two of these practices and techniques on a daily basis.
When life feels overwhelming, it’s easy to get lost in your thoughts and lose touch with yourself. Getting grounded helps you reconnect with your body, quiet the mental noise, and approach whatever’s in front of you with greater clarity and calm.
If you’re ready to feel calmer and more present I’d love to help. I work with high-achieving women all over the world through my virtual one-on-one Soul-Powered Breakthrough Program and I’ll include personalized ways for you to feel more grounded and centered.
If overthinking, anxiety, or a racing mind have been weighing on you, these articles are a great next step.
Discover how Hypnosis, Reiki, and Tao Hands can help you stop second-guessing yourself, trust your intuition, and make decisions with greater confidence. Plus, learn two techniques you can use right away.
Why I decided to learn Tao Hands, what surprised me most after the training, and why I recommend it to so many of my clients.
Trouble sleeping? If your mind won't slow down when your head hits the pillow, this guide explains how I help clients sleep better, what to expect, and practical techniques you can use right away.
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Burned out by an all-consuming job, Deborah Flanagan found balance and peace through the healing arts — and now she's helping others do the same.
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