For many of us, life flies by so quickly that we forget to appreciate the moment. We live in such a fast-paced world that we miss out on life’s simple little pleasures. Our thoughts linger in the past, or are always looking to the future.
It’s time to stop and think. The world is a beautiful place. There is so much to appreciate yet many of us don’t do it. Myself being one of them. Keeping yourself grounded also helps your productivity and general happiness.
Now this isn’t to say you shouldn’t plan for your future. Nor does it mean forget your memories or difficult times because these make you the person you are today. But there are some small and simple changes you can make in your life now to keep yourself grounded. You’ll feel better for it, I promise!
Stop and feel your surroundings
This is something many of us rarely do. You can do it anytime and anywhere you want. Think about the sounds you can hear and what you can touch. Breathe in the smells around you. Listen to your thoughts in your head at the moment. What are you thinking about right now? How does your environment make you feel right now? What can you see? Does it inspire you/remind you of anything?
This is such a great technique to keep you in the present. Human beings are visual creatures. Smells, sounds and images are always around you and it’s only when you sit and look can you really appreciate it.
Breathe
This might sound a bit silly but actually taking big long breaths is something you probably don’t do much! When you’re feeling particularly anxious or stressed your breathing is also affected. Try breathing in for five seconds and out for 5 seconds. This is a proven relaxation technique and can be used at any point.
Breathing in this way can help you if you are struggling to sleep at night, but can also be used when waking up. It brings you back to the present, and can help in taking you away from troubling thoughts.
Be more organised
Organisation is great for keeping life simple and helping your head space. Planning your day/week/month can help prevent further worry about things you need to get done. Getting your tasks done become smaller once thought out and can result in lower stress levels.
You could start out by writing a to-do list for your day. Maybe even write this the night before so you can sleep easier knowing what you have planned for tomorrow. Keep your list small and simple to make bigger tasks much more manageable. Once you’ve mastered your day list, you can think about your weekly schedule and then move on to next month’s list.
Lists are a great way to organise your thoughts and bring much needed calm to a busy head and life.
Do some form of exercise every day
Exercise is great for those struggling to stay grounded. Exercise gives your brain a well-needed boost and releases the ‘good hormones’ into your blood stream. If you’re a busy person, just walking around the block will do. Have a nice stroll on your lunch break to get some fresh air and appreciate your surroundings. I promise you its great stuff for the brain.
If you start to feel a bit more ambitious, maybe you could take a class at your gym, or take longer strolls. Yoga is a great form of exercise which is well-known to ease anxiety and depression.
Try meditation
Meditation has been well documented in benefitting mental and physical wellbeing. There are lots of resources across the web which can help you with meditation and how to do it. For beginners though, there are a few simple steps to take.
To start, you need to find somewhere quiet and without distraction. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Then, think about your body. Think about your shoulders, rib cage and chest. Concentrate on your breathing and how your body moves as you breathe. You can use visual aids, for example a tree swaying as you breathe to help you concentrate. You can decide how long you want to meditate for.
For those struggling to stay in the present, meditation can benefit you in a number of ways. Meditation brings calmness to what might be a hectic and busy life you live. It makes you more aware of your surroundings and can keep you in the present where there might be much disruption.
All of these methods are great if you want to stay more grounded. You can chose to implement some if not all of these ideas to kick start yourself into living in the present. If you found these useful, please share with your friends!
