How To Feel Calm in 4 Minutes a Day (For Free)
Go from anxious to calm with Grounding
One Sunday in May last year, I was round at a friend’s house. It had been a particularly fraught morning for her three-year old, in only the way that sunny weekend mornings can be fraught for a three-year old.
Offers of stories, toys and even a trip to the local park to see the goats (her current favourite thing) were of no interest. Sliding down from the table where we were finishing lunch, she wandered off into the garden.
“Don’t worry”, my friend reassured me, “sometimes she just needs her own time.”
After a minute or two of chatting, we peered through the French windows into the garden to check on her. Sure enough, there was this beautiful little girl, lying completely still on the grass. She wasn’t crying, sleeping or even playing. She was just resting there on the ground, looking at the sky.
Not only did this kid know what she needed (far more than us adults, it would seem), she had just gone and claimed it for herself – without giving a fig what others thought about that. Ten minutes later she was up and smiling, recharged and full of life.
I’m 99.99% certain my friend’s daughter can’t explain that being in connection with the earth - aka. Grounding - is one of the quickest and easiest ways to regulate your nervous system and feel more calm. (Most conversations we’ve had to date have centred around unicorns.)
The point is – she just knew. And – importantly - she acted on that knowing to feel better.
Now, I’m not suggesting we all start channelling our inner three-year old, uninhibited. The world would be a pretty wild place if that happened. For one thing, there would be a mass shortage of Cheerios and ice cream.
What I am saying is that we could all benefit from listening to our bodies more - and giving less of a flying duck about what that looks like to the outside world.
Because deep down, your body knows exactly what she needs to feel good.
Often, we just need to get quiet enough to listen to it.
What is Grounding?
We humans are electrical beings. Electricity is the spark that fuels our biochemistry and physiology. As we move, our bodies generate kinetic energy in the form of positive ions (protons). Like everything in the body, this requires balance for optimal health. Too much positive charge can create inflammation and damage cells.
As the earth is negatively charged, direct skin contact with the ground helps restore this balance: discharging inflammatory protons into the earth and infusing cells with a calming flow of electrons (negatively charged ions).
Just like your fridge-freezer needs to be “earthed” to minimise damage from short-circuiting, so us humans need contact with the earth to function optimally (and stop us frying our wires).
Grounding or Earthing is the practice of making a physical connection with the earth.
It speaks volumes about the pickle we’ve got ourselves in culturally that this simple act is now a special “thing”. Any ancestors looking down on us are probably having a right old hoot. After all, for most of human history we enjoyed continuous physical connection with the earth. It wasn’t a “thing”: it’s just what we did. Our natural state.
Nowadays, many of us spend our lives in shoes, walking on concrete. We can go days, weeks or even years without coming into contact with the earth. When we’re inside, our dazzling architecture means we’re often several stories away from the ground, if not much more.
Little wonder then that so many of us find ourselves feeling “too in our head”, “spacey”, “unsupported” and scattered. We have literally lost touch with our primary support system.
The benefits of Grounding
The good news is there is a very easy remedy for this, and the benefits can be felt almost immediately. Studies show that even as little as a few seconds Grounding can produce measurable improvements in blood markers that indicate greater harmony within hormone system and a more regulated nervous system. These benefits continue to increase the more time you spend in contact with the earth, up to around 45 minutes when a natural balance point is reached.
Studies have shown that regular Grounding can:
Decrease inflammation
Reduce pain
Support healthy immune function
Reduce perceived stress levels
Encourage better sleep
Shift the nervous system from survival mode to greater calm
Improve circulation
Enhance cardiovascular health by increasing the flow state of blood
Reduce free radical damage and act as a powerful antioxidant
Slow the ageing process
Protect from the influence of EMF pollution
Yes, all of this from an activity that’s free and as easy as walking barefoot on the grass. Literally.
How to Ground
One of the best places to start is to get out in nature, either with your bare feet on the ground or your hands in the soil (or as most people call it: gardening). In doing so, you allow your body to sense where it is in space and consequently, feel safer.
The more consistent you are with this practice, the more you start to grow your nervous system capacity for rest, relaxation, pleasure and joy, while decreasing your dependence on the hormones of stress.
After all, a tree can only grow as tall as its roots reach down.
I recommend making it a habit to be in physical connection with the earth daily, for at least 4 minutes.
Then, once a week, head to the park, go to the beach or use your garden if you have one to ground for a full 45 minutes (or longer, if you wish!). You could also consider finding a community garden and receive the added benefits of human connection.
“Forget not that the Earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”
~ Khalil Gibran
Need more support? Be sure to download my free recipe guide - 10 Breakfasts for Balanced Hormones - for an easy way to start your day feeling more energized, centred and at home in your body.