Reorienting To The Present Moment By Mental And Physical Grounding
Due to the present scenario of the pandemic, where most of the people around the globe are gripped with fear, uncertainty and anxiety, mentally grounding oneself is of great use to deal with or cope with emotional pain by using a simple set of strategies that can help one live in the moment. Living in mental peace is one of the most important things in today’s world and even on a very normal basis.
The 5 best proven techniques of mental and emotional (to some extent even physical) grounding are the following –
1. Focusing on your breath
2. Holding a piece of ice
3. Listening to music or walking barefoot on grass
4. Visualizing a daily task you enjoy
5. Taking a shower or exercising vigorously
According to mental health reports the above 5 techniques are very useful to help in grounding due to intense anxiety and/or handling a panic attack/ anxiety attack. Most people with anxiety who are worrying about the future or remembering traumatic incidents in the past get carried away by emotional upheavals and this triggers a flight-or-fight instinct. Though it is overlooked at certain times, grounding as an exercise helps people lessen the effects of stressors in the moment by encouraging them to practice purposeful focus on cues separate from the triggers they encounter.
The effect of grounding the human body on mood
On a physical level grounding or ‘Earthing’ refers to bringing the body in contact with planet Earth. However mentally grounding yourself controls mood swings and emotional pain. A person’s mood can become stable if he or she is mentally and even physically grounded.
Physical grounding for heart care
According to a report from the National Library of Medicine - physical grounding can play a huge role in curbing CVDs (Cardiovascular Diseases) as well, as it affects the viscosity of our blood.
Emotional grounding
Emotional grounding is very important as well as it controls anxiety attacks and thoughts leading to negative emotional feelings such as loneliness, fear, depression and even PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
Coming back to the 5 most important and proven grounding techniques, we can say that firstly, we need to bring our attention to our breath and the way we breathe. Breath is our prana – life force. The way it affects our organs to function normally is very important. It also impacts our nervous system and heart. Secondly, holding a piece of ice cools us down immediately as our nerves get relaxed and our heart rate comes back to normal. Thirdly, listening to music is soothing and is important for mental grounding. It sends signals to our brain to release happy hormones. Walking barefoot on the grass leads to physical grounding as there is energy exchange with Mother Earth. Fourthly, visualizing a daily task you like triggers a positive effect. It can be cooking or gardening or even cleaning up your room. Lastly, exercising vigorously leads not only to one’s fitness levels and physique but builds a relationship, of a sound, confident and courageous mentality towards life, with our brain and endorphins. Taking a shower allows you to get healed by the healing power of water. It calms your nervous system and soothes our minds. Hence, we can say that these 5 techniques are instrumental in grounding people mentally, physically and emotionally. They are simple to perform and very beneficial.
With few inputs from media reports
