Getting grounded in 2023
Has the hustle of the holidays left you feeling ungrounded? Perhaps 2022 was overwhelming altogether. Or maybe, like me, you recently retired or went through some other major life transition. Whatever your reason, if you are feeling ungrounded, there is no better time than the beginning of a new year to re-ground yourself. That is why I have chosen grounded as my 2023 Word of the Year.
What does it mean to be grounded?
In general, being grounded means being emotionally stable, present in the moment, and feeling at ease no matter your emotions or circumstances at the time.
Be like a tree. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break. Enjoy your unique natural beauty. Keep growing.
~Joanne Raptis
Signs that you are not grounded include feeling restless, distracted, overwhelmed, or mentally cluttered.
What can cause you to become ungrounded?
Some common things that can unground you include the following:
- trying to accomplish too much (e.g., overscheduling, multitasking, or setting unreasonable goals)
- not getting enough sleep
- consuming too much information (e.g., constantly checking social media or news sources)
- overthinking
- getting stuck in an emotion
- being in a situation that doesn’t align with your goals or values
- making life transitions
How can you ground yourself?
Of course, if you are suffering from one of the complications above, you will want to address that situation, which may or may not be an easy fix. But the good news is there are some simple practices that can help you feel more grounded immediately, and when practiced regularly, can help you stay grounded in the long run.
Breathe
Take a timeout and focus all of your attention on your breathing. Put a hand on your abdomen and take slow, deep breaths. That alone is usually enough to encourage calm. If you want more structure, try box breathing; that is, breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts, breath out for four counts, and hold for four counts. Repeat the cycle for as long as you need.
Listen to music
Music has the power to change your energy. It can have a calming or energizing effect, depending on the music you choose. Select a tune that suits your needs in the current situation.
Spend time in nature
Get outside. Feel the ground under your feet…look at the sky above you…listen to the sounds of nature…smell her scents. Soak it all in. Few things are more healing or grounding than Mother Earth.
Take small, mindful steps
If overwhelm or overthinking is responsible for your lack of grounding, taking action may be the answer. Just take one small step forward. Clean one drawer. Write one paragraph. Do a couple of squats or take a walk around the block. You may find that small action gives you the momentum you need to do more. If not, you still have the satisfaction of having made progress, however small.
Write it out
If you are feeling scattered or unsettled, as is often the case when you need grounding, writing out your thoughts and feelings can help you get centered enough to take that one small step forward. Writing about what concerns you can also release tension and put things in perspective. Try setting an alarm for 10-20 minutes and writing everything that comes to your mind…no editing or stopping…just keep writing until the alarm sounds. You may be surprised what comes up and how much better you feel.
In summary
Whether it’s a prolonged state or a passing phase, all of us feel ungrounded at some times in our lives, so I invite you to join me in implementing one of these grounding practices in 2023.
Your turn
- What is your favorite grounding practice?
- Did you choose a Word of the Year or set a New Year’s Resolution?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin.
Sources
https://www.betterup.com/blog/how-to-ground-yourself
https://www.thesouljam.com/post/grounding
Image Pixabay
Happy New Year, Christie –
‘Grounded’ is an excellent Word of the Year.
Yoga with Adrienne is also celebrating this theme this month with a 30 day Centered Yoga Challnge (free). I have committed to this for the month and am excited to see where this leads. http://www.ywacenter com
Thank you Donna. Happy New Year to you too! I am also doing the Yoga with Adriene challenge. This is my third year participating, and I was thrilled to see how well her chosen theme fit with my intention for 2023. It is fun to know that we are doing this together!
Thank you for this post! I often find myself overwhelmed and feeling ungrounded because of that. I usually like to go on a walk to ground myself, but haven’t been able to do that as much with the weather. I’m going to actively try some of these other suggestions.
I don’t have a word or specific resolution for the new year, but I’m wanting to focus on getting our home a bit more organized and get rid of unnecessary stuff. It turns out, when you have twins it kinda makes it hard to keep up with projects around the house.
You are welcome, Liz. I can only imagine what life with twins is like…so rewarding, but also challenging. I have missed being able to get outdoors on a regular basis too. Larry and I are trying to declutter and organize our Murray home, but find it to be an overwhelming project at times, and we don’t even have children at home! I hope you give yourself grace and maybe go with the one small action approach.
Hi Christie, I like the new blog look and love the picture of you!
I’m going to try to get up 10 min early and write what’s on my mind. I’m interested to see if it’s the same every morning, or different. I love you sis!
Thank you, Cindy. I’m liking the new look too. I got some help from a web designer, so I can’t take all the credit. I’d love to hear how the daily journaling goes. I love you too!
Hi Christie, nice clean look to the blog. Time well spent. When I feel stuck or off balance everything on your list will help, but ‘take small mindful steps’ is the one that works best for me. Doing something, even if it is a small thing will boost my confidence and get me back on track. The beginning of a new year is certainly a good time to take stock and evaluate what keeps you grounded. Happy New Year.
Thank you Suzanne. I had the help of Michelle Phillips at Codefetti. She was great to work with. I agree with you on the benefit of taking small steps, and sometimes, if my confidence is lagging, it’s good to work on something that I know I am good at before taking on a more challenging project. Happy New Year to you too! Wishing you all the best in 2023!
Happy New Year Christie! I agree with others who have commented that Grounded is a perfect word for the year. Your explanations also show the potential of the word on everyday life. I think walking in nature is my preferred way of staying grounded, nature has that effect on all the senses doesn’t it? I have chosen my word as Explore so hope to learn new things and explore new ideas/places etc. The blog looks good!
Happy New Year to you to Debbie! It feels good to get back to blogging and to my blogging friends. Nature is absolutely the best thing for grounding me, and as you pointed out, it affects all of our senses. I love the word Explore for your WOTY. That was actually on my shortlist as well. I look forward to seeing how you implement exploration in your blog.
Hi Christie – I love your WOTY – it’s funny that it sounds like the exact opposite to mine which seems more like floating and gliding, but is actually aimed at achieving the same outcome – taking life mindfully and not getting bogged down in the doldrums. Speaking of light – your new blog look is very fresh and light and so is your new photo – glad the transition went smoothly. Happy New Year xx
Hello Leanne and happy New Year to you! I love the connection that you made that our two seemingly opposite words of the year actually have a similar purpose. While I was researching my word I found a quote that said in effect you must be grounded before you can take flight. Thank you for the kind words about my blog redesign. I’m pleased with it. I did have some help from a web designer, Michelle Phillips at Codefetti. She was great to work with and did a nice job.
Hi Christie! Grounded is a terrific word/intention. I don’t usually make resolutions or have a WOTY but I always enjoy seeing where others go with theirs.
Great new look for your blog. I’m curious if it’s set up so your followers have to enter their name, email, and website each time they comment. Some allow that information to be stored – or don’t ask it at all – so it’s less of a hassle each time. Maybe it’s just the way the theme is and you don’t have the option.
Best wishes for a healthy, happy 2023!
Hello Janis. Thanks for the input on my updated blog. I will look into the comment function. To be honest with you, I didn’t notice that in my testing. Wishing you and yours all the best in 2023!
I’m going to sound cranky here, but I don’t do resolutions and this year I’m going to forego a word of the year. My latest post explained about that decision. I stay grounded by going for walks outside in nature, meditating in quietness, and remembering that I’m a tiny cog in a big machine so I’ll do my best and not stress.
I say “to each his own” Ally! When it comes to resolutions or words of the year, follow your gut. I will head over to your blog to learn more about your decision. It sounds like you have solid grounding practices in place. Carry on!
I love this! I get myself grounded far more often these days once I start feeling “wrong” within myself. I notice it & it works.
Great to read this Christie!
Happy NY.
Denyse
Thank you Denyse. It’s so helpful to be in tune with yourself and ground yourself in the moment. Happy New Year to you as well!
Grounded is a great word Christie, and is something I could benefit from focussing on more. I know I spend too much time on social media endlessly scrolling. I start there with the intention of connecting for my coaching business, but really need to set a timer to ensure that I don’t get stuck.
My word this year is Onward! (the exclamation point being key). I’ve a blog dropping next week about my thought process.
Oh & btw, nice fresh and clean style for the blog. Did you do it yourself?
It easy to get sucked into social media scrolling, Debs. Setting a timer is a great idea. Besides limiting the amount of time you spend there, it probably adds some urgency to be more selective in how you spend that time. I love your word of the year, especially with the inclusion of the exclamation point. I’ll be checking out your blog on that topic. And thank you for the input on my new blog look. I did work with a web designer, Michelle Phillips at Codefetti.