The power of grounding for anxiety

I woke up feeling anxious today, and for most of the day I felt like I was chasing time and constantly running behind. I had wanted to go for an early morning walk, but I woke up too late. Then I noticed that it was a beautiful day outside and I felt pressure to not miss out, because nice weather has been so rare lately.

I watched an interesting YouTube video today by Shayna Terese Taylor (you can find the link here) and she hit the nail on the head. She mentioned that the feeling of not having enough time comes from a place of lack, the opposite of abundance. Because regardless of how busy you are, you always have the choice to prioritise the things that matter to you. I found that really powerful because it meant that I could start asking myself when I feel like I’m running out of time, “What do I want to prioritise right now?” That’s how I found myself today going for an early evening sunset walk instead of doing a full food shop which would have been a rush before the shops closed.

It was the most wonderful cold, crisp, early evening and the atmosphere at this time was really peaceful. There was an amazing moment where a couple of deer allowed me to be in their space for what felt like quite a while so that we could quietly observe each other. That felt like a rare privilege.

Deer at dusk

The moon was also bright, and I remembered how I used to love walking in the dark during winter with the moon overhead. It would always feel like a calming influence and as if it’s watching over me. I always feel the same when I’m around trees, that they’re looking out for me somehow. I realised in that moment the power of grounding, because it gave me the following perspective shift: by rushing and chasing time, I’m missing the beauty in the present. It shifted my perspective to the present, allowed me to slow down and observe, be intuitive and trust that everything is going to be ok.

A bright moon watching over me at dusk

I also remembered how I read somewhere about resistance creating more suffering within and I realised I resist myself a lot. I fear loving winter and its darkness too much, getting comfortable in that space and it leading to depression. But I’m beginning to think loving the dark in winter can also be a strength. Being outside, even if it’s dark, lifts my spirits.

So I think I’ll work on accepting those parts of myself, rather than resisting them, so that I can actually enjoy the present and what makes each season beautiful in its own right.

What do you do to ground yourself? Do you find a grounding practice helpful to calm anxiety?