Tips for Staying Grounded During Times of Uncertainty

There’s no doubt that the entire world has been shaken. No one could have expected that 2020 would have brought a global pandemic, a nation-wide lockdown and an air of uncertainty over entire economies and industries.

Basically, nobody knows what’s going on. Some world leaders may say that they have a grasp on the coronavirus, but it’s so evident that nobody knows. And, honestly, that’s ok. 

Excuse me, how is uncertainty ok?

Because, everything is uncertain! Even before the spread of the novel coronavirus, your life was still extremely uncertain; you just pretended it wasn’t.

There was never any certainty that you would make it back home once you left for work. There was never any certainty that you wouldn’t be at the wrong place at the wrong time, forcing you to deal with something inexplicably unexpected. This doesn’t just apply to you, but also to the other 7.5 billion people in the world. 

OK, so what are you saying?

I’m saying that you have always been resilient, you have always been a warrior, and you have always been at risk of uncertainty and chaos. Of course, those latter emotions only win if you let them. 

Before now, you have managed to get by living in the structures our society has put in place to help us function collectively (for better or worse is an entirely different conversation). Now, these structures seem to be dismantling and everything that we once believed is now being challenged by the inherent uncertainty of life. 

It seems we have forgotten that we are not in control of the universe and how it decides to ebb and flow. Nonetheless, this can be extremely overwhelming. So, if you find yourself longing for grounding, then check out these tips. 

Morning routines are the essence of grounding. Before you take on the day and the million things you have to do, it’s crucial to give yourself the time and space to simply be. Giving yourself one hour of screen-free self love is more beneficial than you could possibly imagine. 

Especially, if you are feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world. Meditation has been proven to relax our nervous system, giving us a sense of calm and peace. Once you have created a consistent meditation practice, you’ll notice that you’ll be able to prevent stress, as opposed to using meditation to react to it. 

If you find yourself in a stressful, manic episode, then take 10-20 long and deep breaths. Be fully present in your breath through inhalation and exhalation, and bring your vision to your third eye. This will temporarily calm your nervous system. If you want to avoid these episodes in the first place, then developing a consistent mediation practice, even for 10 minutes per day, it’s crucial. 

The silver-lining between this global pandemic is that we are all going through this together. If you lost your job, then there’s about 20 million other Americans who can resonate with you. If you’re worried about the health of your family, then nearly everyone can relate. 

You don’t have to go through this alone. I repeat, you don’t have to go through this alone. Reach out to those closest to you and tell them how you feel. If someone like that isn’t available in your life, then talk to a therapist (PSA: there’s absolutely NO shame in therapy!)

Oftentimes, we just need to release what is stressing us out. Once we have let go of that energy instead of bottling it up, we can find ourselves closer to grounding.

If talking to someone isn’t your jam, then write it all out on paper. The idea here is to get these thoughts out of your head so you can objectively process them. If our minds are in fight-or-flight mode, then it can be very difficult to rationalize our thoughts if they’re swimming in chaos in our minds. 

Another amazing grounding practice is gratitude journaling. Instead of focusing on everything that’s “wrong,” take in the energy of what’s beautiful in your life. Make it part of your morning routine to write down five things you’re grateful for and watch yourself ground in your blessings.

Connecting with nature is an incredible way to inspire grounding. Go for a walk, hike or a bike ride (of course, follow social distancing measures) and embrace nature’s beauty. If you want to get the most out of this practice, then leave your phone at home and literally ground your bare feet into the Earth. 

Grounding means to connect and align with each aspect of yourself— physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. How you connect with yourself may be entirely different to how someone else does. So, listen to your soul and what it calls for, and nurture it like you would to a child. Be gentle and patience with yourself, and remember: nothing is permanent.