Why Grounding Can Be Difficult Sometimes + What To Do About It
Being grounded is an essential skill for empaths and highly sensitive people who pick up emotions from the people and environment around them.
What does it mean to be grounded?
Being "grounded" means that you're present in your body and connected with the earth. When you're grounded, you allow yourself to feel centered and balanced no matter what's going on around you.
If you aren't grounded, you're like a leaf in the wind: very vulnerable and thrown off balance very quickly. But when you are well grounded, you are like a big, strong tree. If something happens around you, it doesn't influence you so much and you are able to feel much more peaceful and balanced in your daily life.
What are some ways to ground yourself?
Any physical activity (sports, walking, dancing, gardening, etc.) will automatically ground you. You can also use a meditation sequence to get grounded: Focus your attention on your body, starting at your crown and moving downward, feeling every part of your body. Then imagine an energetic connection (a chord, a tube, or the roots of a tree) coming out of your feet, into the earth. Also visualize such a connection between your root chakra at the base of your spine and the earth, and allow these connections to go deeply into the Earth.
3 reasons grounding can be difficult and how to work with them:
1. You're physically uncomfortable.
When you're in pain or very tired, it can be very challenging to be present in your body. Grounding yourself asks you to be aware of and present in your body. When your body gives you discomfort, grounding can be difficult.
How you can work with it:
See what happens if you persevere in your intention to ground yourself and be present. Breathe with the discomfort. Send your love to the places in your body that feel painful or uncomfortable. Allow it to be there and be present with it. See if you can feel the peace this brings.
Also know that grounding is a lot easier when you're well rested. Sometimes going to bed early is your best choice! In the morning it will be much easier to ground again. Be kind to yourself and listen to what your body needs.
2. You're emotional.
Something similar happens when you are experiencing intense emotions. Being present with those emotions can be challenging, and grounding can bring up the pieces that you haven't looked at yet.
How you can work with it:
The problem with emotional discomfort and grounding is that it can become a vicious circle. When you're not feeling well, it's hard to ground; when you're not grounded, you're more emotionally vulnerable.
The trick here is to reverse that pattern. Know that when you're grounded, you automatically feel more peaceful. Grounding brings a natural feeling of balance—so see if you can do it anyway. Take a few minutes to just breathe with whatever emotion is present. Allow it to be there. Allow the emotions to be just an energy running through your body. It will be like a wave: Once you focus on it, it will seem to grow and get more intense. When you continue to allow the feeling, it will reach its highest point and then it will diminish and disappear.
When the wave of emotion has run its course, ground yourself again. Feel the peace and your new sense of balance.
3. A part of you feels broken or out of place.
Sometimes grounding is hard because a part of you feels out of placed or unloved. Healing or integrating this part of you that doesn't want to be here takes time.
How you can work with it:
It's important to remember that the energy and the strength of the Earth is always there to support you. Once you get through the initial resistance, grounding will help you feel more balanced and centered.
I hope these tips help you move through any resistance and help you feel more grounded, centered, and balanced in your daily life.
Irene Langeveld, M.S. is an energy worker who specializes in helping sensitive and intuitive people thrive. She received her Master of Science in Education & Child Studies from Leiden University.