In a world where we wear business like a badge of honor it can be pretty hard to stay grounded. Everything moves pretty fast on a daily basis, especially if you live in a huge city like I do.
Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade in the fast paced city life for anything (I already did that in college and came running back), but sometimes it would be nice to just sit back and take in your surroundings.
We’ve all got a lot going on with work, relationships, family, friends, money and some of us even school. We’re juggling too many plates at once which can feel like we’re being tossed about.
Now, most people think this applies when you’ve got heavy stress or anxiety, but the same can apply if you’re floating on Cloud 9 in your life. We get so attached to everything going on that we forget to remain present, grounded and focused. So whether you’re feeling like crap because your boss is stressing you out or you’re super excited about a new romantic relationship chances are you’re feeling a little off kilter.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~ Lao Tzu
We already know that life tends to be better when it’s unrushed. It’s like this, would you enjoy a book more if you sped through it or took the time to enjoy it? No brainer, right?
So how do you get to the state of unrushed? How do you get back to feeling grounded and present?
Take time to disconnect.
There’s a craze among personal development and productivity bloggers that has some serious value: a technology fast. Contrary to popular belief you will not die if you turn off your phone, don’t check your email and stop going on Facebook for a while.
The fact of the matter is that our brains are on constant information overload. We’re more connected than ever – which is great – until we’re constantly bombarded with notifications, messages, tweets, emails, texts, news and more. Quite frankly it’s a great way to cause anxiety because your brain never rests.
Twitter and Facebook aren’t going away any time soon and eventually we’ll just have to adapt, but until we learn to manage being constantly connected we can take some time to regroup and disconnect each day.
Try turning everything off for an hour a day, especially before bed or first thing in the morning. Let your body and brain prepare for what’s to come. Believe me, it works wonders.
Reflect.
I’ve recently picked up the habit of journaling again. It was something I did growing up and I (unfortunately) completely lost the habit in college.
Since working toward my life coaching certification I’ve come to really love the act of journaling again. It’s a wonderful way to unwind, release and really reflect on what’s going on around you. It’s a powerful tool that can really help you get grounded as you process everything around you.
Oh, and sometimes you’ll completely blow your own mind as you look back and see what you’ve written in the past. That’s always fun.
Make a self-care routine.
I’ve come to notice that if I don’t keep up with my yoga routine then I get distracted and off-center very easily. This has become especially apparent in the last couple of weeks as I embark on a new romantic relationship, try to keep up with my busy work schedule as of late and attempt to take my life coaching classes.
What I’ve come to realize is this: the less I partake in my own self-care the more off balance I get. For me, self-care equals yoga, for you it could be something like painting or playing music. Whatever you do as your own form of self-care make sure not to put it on the back burner when life starts moving fast.
If you’re not too sure where to start when it comes to self-care make sure to check out my friend Diana’s The Guide to Living the Life You Were Meant to Live. Diana created this product as a supplement to her Unleash Your Sexy training packages which strive to help people get healthy and balanced. The guide itself has a podcast, a mediation, 3 work-outs under 30 minutes and a huge list of healthy snacks (which by the way are totally delish). The best part is it’s completely free. Click here for more info.
” The greatest oak was once a tiny nut that held its ground.” ~Unknown
Staying grounded amid the craziness that life brings is paramount if you want to stay centered and focused. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s not only stress and anxiety that knocks you off balance, it can be great elation as well. That being said, making it a point to get grounded can significantly improve your standard of living, even if you feel like you are being tossed about.
For more tips on good living make sure to check out Zen Habits. Leo Babauta covers everything from minimalism to money in his amazing blog.
Image via Keith “Captain Photo” Cuddeback
