𝟏𝟎 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬

We’re living through uncertain times. Fear, worry, panic are seen and felt. Suddenly, tomorrow’s happenings are not so predictable as we’re used to. And we like prediction, we want to know if we’re going to be safe. It’s easy these days to find yourself in excessive thinking, debating, and worrying about what will happen. Are my loved ones and I going to be okay? It’s important to be well informed, to think about your situation, to discuss the topic, to take measurements. But fear and panic tend to get us out of our bodies, and into our heads, causing things to grow out of proportion. So, if you’re finding yourself checking Facebook 50 times a day, needing to know every newsfeed, finding that every second thought has the word ‘corona’ in it, or you can’t talk about anything else, then these tips might help you to find your ground back. Embodiment is of high importance these days, as always, to stay grounded in reality, in balance and in contact with yourself.

1. 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲. 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐞. 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. It doesn’t matter what you do, but move! This helps you to connect to your body. Put your favorite song and shake your body loose. Stamp your feet on the ground and feel your legs. You can shake your pelvis and shoulders, to let go of tension.

2. 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. Knead, caress, massage your body. You can move from head to feet, feeling into every body part. Some tapping and drumming is also great!

3. 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞. Breathing one of the most simple ways to reduce stress. Sit in a relaxed position. Take 10 deep breaths. Start with a deep inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Try to keep your attention with these 10 breaths from beginning till the end.

4. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝. Fear tightens the throat. Inhale and exhale with an Aaaah sound. From there, you can freeflow with sound. Open your mouth, relax your jaw. This might be strange at first, but making sound releases withheld anxiety and tension.

5. 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞. Relaxing the mind and body helps to put the situation in a more spacious perspective. The easiest way to ground yourself in meditation is through a body scan. Place your attention in the back of your head, and travel to your face, neck, all the way down to your feet. Be present with the sensations of each part of your body.

6. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭. Go out, enjoy the trees, hear the birds, smell the spring. You might even want to feel the ground with bare feet.

7. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭. Do not do this alone. No hugging does not mean you can’t reach out verbally. Call someone for a chat, tell others how much you love them. Ask for what you need.

8. 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. Be present with what you feel. You can name them: ‘I feel anxiety’, ‘I feel nervousness in my belly’. Validate your feelings, they are okay. Cultivate compassion for your feelings. Another great practice is sitting down with somebody, where one speaks and the other listens. You speak about what is alive in you right now, from a present moment. Expressing your feelings helps you take ownership of them. Giving them space can release them gently without piling up inside.

9. 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧. Fear can make hasty. Try to slow down in your daily activities. Bring awareness to brushing your teeth and cooking dinner. Feel your feet on the ground as you walk, talk, act.

10. 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞. There is a certain moment, where it’s not serving you any more to stay connected to the web. You know when. Put it away, pick up a book. Do any of the above suggestions or whatever works for you. Nurture yourself, take care. Staying here, with the intention to be grounded and present, is the biggest gift to yourself and others. We need you here. With love, Aranka.