Centering - How to Calm Anxiety With These 5 Grounding Techniques

Centering pulls your energy away from outside forces and channels it back into your being. When you are centered, you feel stable and grounded in who you are at the core. By reconnecting to your center of gravity, you move from a place of calm and bring the most focused version of yourself to light. A clear mind ultimately builds confidence and trust in yourself.

You can use your body, mind, and breath to help you let go of anxiety and find your footing, even in what can sometimes feel like a pretty bumpy ride. Below are some of our favorite practices to explore as you discover the calm within and root into the present moment.

If you'd like to get started by strengthening your ability to tap into the present moment, take a peek at these simple, quick activities.

1. Try Barefoot Grounding in Nature

It's amazing to think that once upon a time, the only way we walked was with the bottoms of our feet directly touching the ground. Soon enough, we graduated as a species to some pretty snazzy protective gear for our tootsies. Thanks to shoes and pavement, it's now possible to live almost entirely without touching the ground. But, that's not a good idea! It turns out that a direct physical connection to the land is an essential and fundamental part of your everyday health.

One apparent reason is that when your feet hit mother nature, it's likely that your head has also arrived in a park or your yard. You may enjoy some immune-boosting fresh air and a few vitamin D rays when you're outside. If you'd like to amplify the positive effects of your nature time, give your toes some fresh air too!

Clinical studies show that walking barefoot or laying on the ground can help you get better sleep and shift your nervous system out of overdrive. In addition, the Earth has an abundance of electrons that can help neutralize free radicals that may be roaming in your body. So, get to the ground and give your body some healing energy.

2. Use the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Method

Being fully present is one of the most critical aspects of finding your center and calm within. For those who have experienced trauma or consistent anxiety, a natural coping mechanism may be to disassociate - or "checkout" emotionally when something scary or stressful arrives. Essentially, you press the mute button on certain parts of your brain to avoid the pain. But what can happen is that this disassociation can become a habit and seep into every aspect of your life—essentially numbing you or disconnecting you from your own experience. Surprisingly, according to research, 74% of people have experienced a period of dissociation in their life.

The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is one of the most effective ways to bring you back "home." It takes you to the one place you do have the power to process and make positive change in your life—the here and now. Reconnecting to your center, to your body, helps you recognize that you are, in fact, safe. Thoughts or traumatic memories live only in the past, not your real life. So here's how to tune in and reconnect. Sensing with great curiosity in your current space or a specific object, Notice…

• 5️⃣ things you SEE: the light, texture, shadows, and patterns.
• 4️⃣ things you FEEL: the temperature, the pressure on the bottoms of your feet or backside.
• 3️⃣ things you HEAR: the hum of the fridge, cars driving past, leaves in the trees.
• 2️⃣ things you SMELL: the scent of the air, your hair, or something nearby.
• 1️⃣ thing you TASTE: the flavors of a small mint or small snack.

By quickly or slowly ticking your way through these 15 points, you will have immersed yourself in the moment and reawaken to your place of being.

3. Study Grounding Stones

Just as the 5-4-3-2-1 technique brings you into this moment, you can also channel your energy back inward by focusing on a specific object. As a boost to our Mindful Marks, our go-to tangible, grounding objects are crystals. There's a mountain of learning and spiritual meaning behind crystals, and we love them because they are just so dang beautiful! You can pick any pebble or rock from your garden or maybe an object you collected from a place or experience you loved.

Here's the critical part - you choose and give meaning and purpose to the stone with your mind. No joke, this works. For the last 60 years, scientists have noted (and often been annoyed by) the Placebo effect. This effect is a phenomenon where recipients of inactive or fake therapies improve because they believe in the positive impact.

To help you feel more grounded in your life, you can decide that your object will help you dissipate negative feelings when you touch it. When your heart begins to race, or your mind wanders into negative territory, close your eyes, hold your stone for a minute or two, and notice everything you can while it rests in your hand. Now with your eyes open, bring your full attention to your stone and look for a new line or color variation that you hadn't noticed before. After you've taken a mindful moment to revisit your stone, see how you feel.

By practicing and repeating this activity with a stone, you are conditioning your body and mind to connect a sense of calm when holding your stone. You may discover that just by touching your grounding stone, you already start to feel more relaxed.

4. Improve your Posture with Mountain Pose

Posture isn't just about your body! For example, when you strike a power pose, your body and mind have a metaphoric chat. According to research, when you position your body in a certain way, you communicate with your subconscious mind.

What's our favorite power pose for getting rooted and out of a stressful swirl? It is Mountain Pose, hands down … by your side. :-) It's potent because it's both an unassuming/" do-it-anywhere" stance, AND it brings your whole body into alignment. Stand with your muscles activated, lengthen your spine, and bring awareness to how your bones stack one on top of the other. This channels your attention inward and firmly plants you in the present moment with a boost of stability. Bonus! This pose will strengthen your legs and improve your physical posture too.

Similar positive benefits result from the way you sit. An upright, tall, seated position also helps you focus and recenter your energy. So take a few breaks during your day to realign your position, enjoy a full slow breath, and let your shoulders relax.

5. Respect Your Psychological Boundaries

Physical and psychological boundaries are security systems for your well-being and help you find calm stability. Any time you or someone else crosses into unhealthy territory, your internal alarms trigger, and you have the opportunity to respond with intention. As with any high-end security system (and yours is state of the art!), the first step is programming it.

• Start by reflecting on the positive forces you want in your life – people, situations, things – that light you up. What do you want from these relationships or experiences?
• Take note of anything holding you back from shining your brightest or draining your energy. What boundaries may support your physical and mental health in these areas?
• Get crystal clear with yourself and document the promises you'd like to keep. Ie. "I will shut down screens by 9:30p, so I get quality sleep and skip the snooze button."

When someone else is involved, communicate your boundary directly. For example, "I am not able to interrupt my workday to respond to your non-life-threatening personal needs." You may also want to share your positive aspiration for the relationship and how this boundary supports your overall well-being.  

• Stand firm in what you need to be healthy. Certainly, you can listen to other ideas for how your needs can be met or boundaries kept, but this is not bargaining. Your boundary is uniquely yours and does not need any justification.
• Deepen the commitment to your boundary by reaffirming why it's essential to you and what happens when the line is ignored or crossed. And most importantly, if you or someone else doesn't respect a boundary, make sure to address it. If your boundaries continue not to be kept after you communicate your needs, consider other ways you can physically or emotionally distance yourself from this situation or person.

Boundaries can sometimes get a bad wrap - as a tool for separating yourself from others. But, the truth is that limits always allow you to be the supercharged, lovely human you are. And, this healthier, happier version of you cultivates stronger relationships!

6.Self Talk … Start with Self-Compassion

We all know negative self-talk is no good, yet it's been a part of everyone's life. You might not know the degree to which your internal dialogue affects your well-being. So, you might start by watching and listening for a few days. Sometimes your inner voice will chat away about a mistake you made or something even more hurtful. The good news is that, with patience and self-care, you can have a positive relationship with yourself.

When you're ready to shift, one thing has been most helpful in our experience. And that is -- be nice. By treating the voice inside your head as a sometimes fussy old friend, there's less resistance to tamping down those unhelpful, self-sabotaging thoughts. So when the self-doubt rumbles, talk back kindly. For example: "Thank you for that perspective, but it's not my truth. I know that I am capable and deserving." And you certainly are!

7. Try This Centering Meditation

Many fantastic resources, teachers, and apps offer high-quality guided meditations. They each have their own voice and unique way of helping you navigate into being. That said, we love having a handful of meditations in our back pocket when technology or teachers aren't around. Below is one you might enjoy and pocket for your journey.

Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit with your eyes closed and hands gently placed in your lap. Begin by taking a few deep breaths until you feel ready to begin.

Start by noting any places you feel tightness in your body and invite relaxation with a deep breath. Breathe normally for a few minutes, focusing on the rise and fall of each breath. Visualize a ray of light shining from the sky through your crown to the core of the Earth. As you breathe in, imagine the light beaming down fills you with peace and health. As you breathe out, see any negative energy flowing back into Earth and dissolving. As you breathe in, feel the Earth's energy travel up your spine, flowing from your crown like a fountain. Imagine being wrapped by the mix of your centered energy and the Earth's healing power.

Final thoughts on grounding exercises that will help center you

Incorporate as many practices in the list above into your life. You may find some are easier than others, while others you may already be doing. The key is to stay on your path. With each small step, you'll become more aware of your being and the peace within!

Hello, #BrighterBeing! Interested in exploring more? Because we’re all about reminders here at LumenKind, we make handy guides and tools to support you in taking action on these insights. And, we hope you'll join us on the journey with monthly insights, suggested intentions, and mindfulness tips. 

Related: Discover your Power Planet 🪐

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