It’s Thursday again already – are you finding it hard to keep track of the days with all these bank holidays?
With the weather beginning to warm up a little, we can all get outside in the fresh air a bit more.
That fits perfectly with this week’s mental sunshine, which is another word from my word cloud:
Grounded.
When we feel grounded, we can feel more calm and connected to the world around us.
That sense of peace you get when you’re not in that anxious, fight-or-flight state it’s so easy to spend most of our time in.
Have you ever noticed that after a day barefoot on the beach or the garden you feel calmer and more collected?
Grounding is also a scientifically proven way of reducing stress and inflammation, improving heart health, reducing pain and improving sleep.
Yes, I know that sounds far-fetched – but there is science to back these things up.
And really, if it’s free and might help you to feel a little better, it has to be worth a try, right?
How do you get the benefits of grounding?
Simple – connect with the ground in some way.
That might be walking barefoot on the ground (think grass or sand rather than concrete!), swimming in the sea, a lake or river, or even just doing some gardening.
General guidance seems to suggest 20-30 minutes a day is best, but really it’s about whatever you can manage.
This is much easier to do during the warmer months when many of us walk barefoot or wear flip-flops anyway.
It’s one of those things where it’s worth a try
And just the act of taking 20-30 minutes to mindfully sit with your feet on the ground can help you to feel more calm and… grounded!
You can also do a simple breathing technique to help you reset before grounding
It’s the 3 7 11 technique
3 breaths of 7 seconds inhale and 11 seconds exhale
Let me know how you get on…