From Ungrounded To Grounded

This post originally appeared on Folk Rebellion.

Lately, I’ve been throwing around the word “busy” like it’s going to bring world peace or something. How annoying, I know. I attend to my to-do list like it’s do-or-die, I skip yoga to catch up on a serious lack of sleep (but let’s be honest, I usually end up trolling Instagram in bed), I consume copious amounts of coffee before noon, and far too often I find myself saying yes when I really mean no.

I know you know what I’m saying – we’ve all been there.

Once I’ve taken a moment to pause – oh the sweet, sacred pause – I can recollect and refocus on a new strategy. Whenever I feel like scattered has taken the wheel, I know that it’s time slow down and ground. But how?

Each and every time I feel ungrounded, I go through a lovingly compiled list of things that bring me back to earth.

Gratitude
First and foremost, I take inventory of all the things that make me happy to be alive. When we don’t take time to appreciate the gifts we already have, we go into scarcity mode. I’m not enough. Once I have ______ I can be happy. I don’t have time. Cut that shit out and focus on the goodness right in front of you.

Presence
I find it nearly impossible to feel scattered when I’m living in the moment. I take deep breaths. I focus on what is unraveling and unfolding right before me, not what happened at work yesterday or what I want to get up to next weekend. Use those senses, y’all. What do you see, smell, feel, hear, and taste? Soak it all in. Let it marinate. This moment is all we’ve got.

Self love
In a world where we are expected to be selfless and constantly put others first, we often forget to give ourselves some much-needed lovin’. But as the saying goes, you cannot pour from an empty cup. So, I eat pizza for breakfast. I get a massage. Sometimes I sleep in, take a bubble bath, play hooky, or spend some time on Youtube watching cute animal videos. Whatever this is for you, make sure it’s something you do for yourself simply because it brings you joy, no other reason.

Reflection
I take pen to paper, flip to a new page in my adult coloring book, or I talk it out with my person – most times, all three. I get it off my chest and once it’s all out there in the open, I move on to the dissection phase.

Try these on for size next time you’re feeling ungrounded. Take what works, cut out what doesn’t, and experiment until you find that perfect list of things that can snap you out of scattered mode.

Stay wild, you guys.

Jenna Dailey is a Minnesota-grown storyteller, student of life and yoga teacher. Her insatiable curiosity and undying desire to cultivate connection fuel her travels around the world in search of new people and places.

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