Grounding: Being Rooted in the Now.

Written by: Brittany Glaser, M.A., M.Div.

When working with clients, I sometimes notice how much of our conversations tend to gravitate toward things that have happened in the past or things that could happen in the future. We process what has been and how much we wish it were not. We fear about what could be and the catastrophe that could overwhelm us. As humans we all can get swept up in anxiety of the future unknown or the depression of past pain.

It is vital to process these emotions; it is also important to ground ourselves in the now.

Unlike the past or the future, our present is the only time/space that we can control and change. The present is the one thing that we can be “in,” but it often passes without us realizing it. This happens to me when I notice myself focusing on to-do lists and then, all the sudden, the day is over, or a week has completely flown by. I drive to work and forget how I got there: I lose those moments of “being” along the way.

One way to reclaim those moments is through mindful grounding exercises. There are a lot of diverse ways to practice grounding but one of my favorites to use is grounding through body sensations. You can do this by focusing on one of your senses and trying to pay attention to what it is experiences. An example would be to focus on the texture of something you are holding. Another way to practice could be to focus on a particular smell.

Grounding in the moment can bring our restless thinking to a pause and allow us to breathe and “be” for a moment. I hope you take a moment and be in your present.