6 Grounding Habits for sensitive souls

Sensitive souls can sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the feels, not just for themselves but for the people around them as well. Here are 6 things I do to help stay grounded.

There are a number of things that I do on a regular basis to help manage my energy and ground, that I will dial up and dial down depending on what I need. I don’t do them all every single day but I will touch on something from each area. As it really helps to stop me from getting drawn into the energetic slipstream of other people really easily. Whether that is friends family colleagues or even out and about in public if you are feeling super floaty!

Bedtime rituals: 

For me, a grounded day starts the night before which not only means getting to bed on time but also honouring the processes that help me have a really good quality sleep too. Which include:

No technology for at least half an hour before bed, I know what time it is as a relaxation playlist comes on in the lounge at that time. The cat has got so used to this that she now tells me to sit down too!

Keep the lights down low at this time, it helps your circadian rhythm stay aligned and tells your body it’s nearly bedtime

Read a book before bed, preferably not a personal development one! One that will relax or inspire you. I’ve got really into fiction again this year, come join my book club if you need inspiration

Listen to a relaxing playlist. I have one that comes on in my bedroom as soon as the playlist in the lounge ends to let me know it’s time to go to bed. (See the examples below if you need some inspiration!)

Ideally no phone in the bedroom but that’s not always possible because…

If I feel extremely tired or overwhelmed I might listen to a meditation recording from somewhere like Insight timer

Small things can make all the different to a quality night’s rest. If you need complete darkness then do what you can to get it, it doesn’t necessarily need to be blackout blinds. Order yourself an eye mask, I have a few silk ones that also make your skin really smooth as well.

I find scent helpful in setting the tone for rest and relaxation too. So I often do things like burn incense or diffuse essential oils. Relaxing scents like:

• Lavender
• Chamomile 
• Rose

Things like that will soothe my nervous system and get me into relaxation mode. 

Before you even get to bed a hot bath is very helpful to prepare for sleep too, as it raises your temperature and relaxes your body. The ritual of taking care of yourself and cleansing away the day helps with preparation for good quality rest and helping your physical body let go of what it no longer needs. If you prefer a shower, go right ahead! The ritual of cleansing and getting yourself ready will really help in the same way. 

There is no right or wrong with this and what works may evolve over time. For me, there are different things that support my rest in different seasons. So for example in the winter I will have a sleepy tea before bed, I don’t really do it in the summer. And more often than not make a little hot water bottle too! So have a play with what works for you in different seasons of the year but also of your own cycle if you’re a person that has periods because you might need different things at different times.

I often use crystals to support and ground in my sleep too. I have a little bowl of two or three crystals that are associated with dreams, relaxation and healing next to the bed. They are all very gentle crystals like amethyst, ametrine, and celestite. I also have selenite in my bedroom to keep the energy protected.

Keep it simple with crystals in the bedroom if you’re sensitive because it can interfere with rest if you have too many. If you’re working with a specific crystal that’s supportive and aligned with restful and not activating energy, you could pop that under your pillow too. Things like rose quartz if you’re focusing on relationships or citrine if you’re wanting to build your confidence and abundance.

Keep a notebook by the bed to take note of anything that comes up when you wake. But also in case, you wake up in the night, you can jot it down and empty your head. You have a far better chance of getting back to sleep if you stay offline to do this than if you pick up your phone!

As ideally it will be out to the room right?!

Try not to interact with any technology or light even if you need to go into the bathroom at night. I would not turn any lights on if you are at home, you know where everything is. Protect your little rest bubble! I talk about the nudges a lot and that is one of the nudges to keep you in a restful, liminal state.

Good quality rest helps you feel grounded as it sets you up with the best chance of having a clear head and making supportive decisions the next day. This brings me to the second habit which is, you’ve guessed it! Morning routines

There are a number of things I usually do in the morning to ground and give myself the best chance of a sweet day. As a person naturally inclined to anxious thoughts and creative thinking, it’s important for me to acknowledge these early doors and take care of them.

Journalling

Did you used to do it as a teen and it turned into one long whine? Me too! Mine were so depressing I destroyed them in a decluttering frenzy a few years ago. But journalling does not need to be all “dear diary” grumbles or even a structured and quite cheesy gratitude journal, it can be a very positive and natural experience.

Again, this is going to be something that evolves over time I encourage you to play with your practice and notice what it is that charges you up or drains you in the morning. I need to move every morning as early as possible. If I don’t move in the morning I get really agitated later in the day and struggle to focus on anything. But I also need quiet time to get my thoughts out. 

Once I have taken care of my cat Daisy, I light a candle and some incense and sit down with my journal and cacao or coffee and write 2 pages of freeform writing. This is something I have done for almost 10 years now and it helps me deal with any distracting thoughts that may be lurking in my mind. Literally, whatever comes into my mind, it might be about how I am feeling, or what I want to do that day. How it’s cute that the cat is snuggling up to me, or big massive goals and dreams for the future. Literally whatever comes into my mind. This is not a place to plan the day, so if things come up related to that I pop them on a post-it note and put them to one side. This is about decluttering my mind ready for a sweet day.

If anything unhelpful comes up I use Julia Cameron’s blurts process to focus in on them and flip them into something a bit more supportive. So if there is an unhelpful story I do write that too, but instead of wallowing in it and feeling bad about that perceived reality. I flip it! I write what is actually true or what I want to be true instead. It helps me be present to actual reality, as most often the unhelpful thoughts aren’t actually true and this process helps reveal them and set them free!

I generally end with whatever my mantra is for that season or cycle to affirm it and set the foundation for my day, always in the present tense and always using language that relates to the feeling I am invoking to activate it in my body. For example,

I easily and joyfully receive everything I desire to live my La Dolce Vita!

I often joke that I don’t know what I am thinking until I have written it down. But it can be true sometimes! Getting things out of my head and onto paper can help crystallise them or make me realise how silly they are. It can go either way! Whatever the outcome I always feel better when I have done it and they will be interesting to reflect on when I am 80.

I have a special fountain pen I use to journal with and a special type of notebook that I love for this practice. It makes it a more joyful and pleasurable experience, so experiment with what works for you and find tools that make you smile.

Cleanse your energy

Cleansing your energy is something that you need to do on a regular basis. Regular support from energy healers is ideal but in order for you to stay grounded in calm in your everyday life is really important for you to be practising good energetic hygiene too on your own on a daily basis.

So how can you do this?

It can be as simple as imagining the water that you stand under in the shower is cleansing away any energy that you don’t need in your aura at the same time. Doing that for a couple of minutes when you’re in the shower in the morning, will have a cleansing effect. Imagine rooting down through your feet and sensing that the water is cleansing away everything that you no longer need as you do. Take in a few big deep breaths, taking strength from the earth through your rooted feet, and surrendering to the water releasing anything you don’t need.

Or, you can really go to town and you can get support on a daily basis too through things like a meditation recording, sound healing or a yoga nidra recording. Insight Timer is a great resource for lots of free meditations and healing recordings as well as live classes and courses.

Activate your senses

Don’t have time for meditation? Listen to a gorgeous sound-healing playlist on Spotify while you get ready for your day instead here are a few that I listen to regularly:

• Healing playlist for abundance
• Solfeggio healing music
• Healing mantras from my talented friend Olive MacDonagh
• Sounds of Wellbeing also from the lovely Olive MacDonagh

Or pop some essential oils* in your diffuser (check they are pet-friendly first if you have furry companions!) I tend to select something activating in the morning, and something relaxing in the evening.

Morning scents to help you activate your day:

• Lime
• Peppermint
• Eucalyptus
• Frankincense
• Spearmint
• Mandarin
• Ginger
• Bergamot

Evening scents for calm and relaxation:

• Lavender
• Roman Chamomile
• Rose
• Sandalwood
• Vetiver
• Rosemary

There are no rules with scent* If it’s just you, tune into what intuitively feels supportive for you at the moment. I don’t diffuse them anymore as it’s irritating for my cat who has allergies, so I put them in my homemade creams, cleansers and bath salts instead. There’s always a way! So experiment with what works for you.

Get out in nature

Sometimes even the best-crafted grounding practice might not hit the sides, hello pre-period week! In these weeks getting out in nature is my absolute favourite salve for grounding. I don’t have a garden at home so I head straight to the parks and waterways near me for some free tree therapy.

Trees by nature are deeply rooted and connected both above and below ground. They innately support us to thrive so embrace their power and go let it embrace you. 

What?! You want me to hug a tree?!

If you want to yes, I guarantee you it will feel nicer than you think! But if that’s a step too far, sit next to one. Rest with your back up against it and allow yourself to be supported and held by it. Take a few deep breaths and peer up into the expanse of its canopy if you can. 

If trees don’t resonate with you, take a mindful walk or bike ride and absorb the beauty of everything around you. No headphones, no podcasts, no music or phone calls and no staring at the screen as you walk. Listen to the sound of nature supporting you and chattering to you, and observe the uniqueness of everything around you. Even if you take the same walk every day you will experience it differently due to our constantly changing state and environment.

You are nature, allow yourself to be supported by it.

Anchor it all in

This doesn’t have to be super woo, but it can be! It might just be a candle and a totem that signifies what you are grounding into at the moment in business, life, love or even healing. It can be a representation of what you are thankful for in the season with leaves, feathers or crystals that signify that season’s energy and character. Or you can go full out and make it super spiritual… On my altar at the moment is:

• A crystal grid
• Intentions – mine is written down and folded up under my crystal grid
• Candle – I light it every morning when I start the day
• Incence
• Crystal essence spray/flowers
• A feather from a recent retreat
• Oracle or Tarot cards
• Images of what I am focused on (e.g might be Fortuna for abundance or Venus for love or a vision board for that season or cycle)

Do you do any of these already? I’d love to hear what works for you! Comment below or send me a message.

Have you tried all of these and still feel like you need some help? It’s OK! Sensitive souls may need extra help, as we spend a lot of time holding space for other people’s energy. My La Dolce Vita® Energy Reset can help.

Have a sweet day!

*If you have allergies, pets or tiny people around you or are pregnant please check compatibility before you use essential oils.