Last week, I explored how walking helps me come back into my body — not as exercise, but as a return. A return to the rhythm of my breath, the softness of birdsong, the steadiness of my steps. That practice reminded me that presence doesn’t always arrive in stillness. Sometimes, it’s movement — rhythmic, gentle, embodied — that calls us home.

But this week, I noticed that sometimes I just don’t have time for a walk. I might only have 2 minutes between one Zoom call and the next, or I’m in the middle of a meeting and I need to ground. So this week, I’m choosing to go a little deeper, by using intentional grounding techniques that I can access at any moment – even when I’m in the middle of the fire.

I’m going to approach grounding not as a last resort, but as a rhythm. A ritual. A way to tend to myself throughout the day. I’ll be trying a few techniques, noticing what helps, and returning to this core question:

“Which practice brings me back to this moment?”

Here’s my personal plan:

• Try one grounding practice per day and reflect on what worked (and what didn’t).
• Use a 1–5 scale to track how each one affects my mood, energy, and sense of presence.
• Place post-it notes in key places — desk, mirror, nightstand — with cues like “Feel your feet” and “Hand to heart.”
• Set a gentle hourly iWatch alarm to breathe, pause, and check in.
• Keep a worry stone on my desk and lavender oil at bedtime.
• Take at least one grounding walk this week — naming what I see, hear, and smell.

This isn’t about optimizing. It’s about observing. Reconnecting. Building trust with my nervous system, one grounded moment at a time.

💬 Personal Reflection

There are moments when the world feels like too much.

A Zoom call that goes sideways. An email that spirals into self-doubt. A hard conversation that leaves your chest tight and your shoulders hunched. Or maybe it’s more subtle — the kind of stress that hums quietly beneath the surface, slowly draining your energy.

For me, these moments often arrive unannounced. One minute, I’m fine. The next, I feel like I’m unraveling — my breath shallow, my thoughts racing, my body no longer my own.

I used to power through. Ignore the signals. Shame myself for not holding it together.

But recently, something shifted.

Not because I finally “figured it out,” but because I got tired of feeling at war with my own body. I started asking a gentler question: What if these moments aren’t failures? What if they’re invitations? And more importantly: What would it look like to come back — not later, not after a breakdown, but in real time? That’s where grounding comes in.

🧠 The Science Behind Grounding

Grounding isn’t just a wellness buzzword. It’s a powerful way to re-engage the thinking part of our brain — the prefrontal cortex — when stress has hijacked our nervous system.

Here’s a simplified breakdown:

When we feel safe, the prefrontal cortex is active. That’s the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, logic, creativity, and compassion.

But under stress, the brain shifts control to the limbic system — especially the amygdala, which triggers the fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response. This is a brilliant survival system, but it can make it hard to think clearly, communicate effectively, or even remember basic things.

Grounding interrupts that loop.

By shifting attention to the body — your breath, senses, physical surroundings — you signal to your brain: The danger has passed. I am here. I am safe enough. This begins to complete the stress cycle and reactivates the prefrontal cortex. You go from reactive to responsive. From spinning to steady. And that shift changes everything.

✨ Grounding Practices That Work for Me

Here are a few techniques I’m returning to this week — along with a couple I’m experimenting with for the first time.

1. Hands on Heart and Stomach (My Everyday Anchor)

Place one hand on your heart. One hand on your belly. Breathe. Feel your hands rise and fall. This practice is my go-to — especially in moments of overwhelm or overstimulation. It engages two powerful regulators:

• Touch, which grounds and soothes.
• Breath, which slows and signals safety.

It’s simple, portable, and immediate. And over time, it becomes muscle memory — your body begins to associate this gesture with calm. I use it in the car, before meetings, and even lying in bed when I’m having a hard time quieting my mind and falling asleep. No one has to know. But my body does.

2. Something Cold or Textured (My Husband’s Favorite 😉)

Grounding through temperature is surprisingly effective — and often overlooked. It doesn’t have to be complicated:

• Touch a cold countertop.
• Hold a smooth stone or textured worry ring.
• Press a cool spoon to your cheek.
• Run your hands under cold water for 15 seconds.

Temperature interrupts the stress spiral. It says, Hey, we’re here. This is now. I keep a small stone on my desk — slightly rough, always cool — and use it without even thinking. It helps.

3. Breath as an Anchor

We always breathe, but often unconsciously. Intentional breath helps regulate the nervous system — especially if you extend your exhale. Here are three options:

• Box Breathing: Inhale 4 / Hold 4 / Exhale 4 / Hold 4
• Extended Exhale: Inhale 4 / Exhale 6–8
• Sighing Breath: Inhale through your nose. Sigh out audibly through your mouth.

Try it once. Notice the shift.

4. Sensory Tools and Grounding Gadgets

Structure can help. Here are a few I’ve used or recommended:

• Acupressure rings (great for fidgeting)
• Weighted blankets
• Essential oils (especially lavender or eucalyptus)
• Vibrating tools like Apollo Neuro

These aren’t about numbing — they’re about co-regulation. About supporting your nervous system gently.

5. Music and Memory

Sound is incredibly grounding. I keep a playlist of nostalgic songs — some joyful, some reflective — and listen when I feel adrift. Music connects us to time, memory, and emotion. It anchors.

🌱 Other Grounding Practices to Try
Everyone is different. Here are a few more ideas:

• 5-4-3-2-1 Technique: Name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.
• Body Scanning (feet to head!)
• Naming what's true: “I’m sitting. My feet are on the floor. The window is open.”
• Walking with awareness
• Sipping tea slowly
• Saying a mantra: “I am here. I am safe. I have choice.”

Try one. See what resonates.

🌀 Looking Back — and Ahead

Last week, I walked.

This week, I ground.

Next week, I’ll be exploring a topic many of us wrestle with:
Why triggers aren’t weaknesses — but wisdom.

It’s a tender one. And it builds on everything we’ve practiced so far.

💭 Reflection Prompts

Want to try this with me? Here are a few questions to hold:

• What helps me return to the present when I’m overwhelmed?
• What sensations tell me I need to ground?
• Which grounding practices feel most accessible in my daily routine?
• How does my environment impact my ability to ground?
• What would it look like to ground before I’m in crisis?

No pressure to answer perfectly. Just stay curious.

🌍 This Isn’t Just Personal — It’s Cultural

We’re all trying to self-regulate in systems that reward dysregulation:

• Workplaces that praise hustle.
• Families that avoid emotion.
• Schools that value compliance over connection.

So when you pause… when you breathe… when you thank your body for speaking… you’re doing more than grounding. You’re reclaiming something. You’re saying: There’s another way. And that’s powerful.

📆 The Weekly Flow

Here’s what this week looks like in the #MyPeacein50 rhythm:

• Monday → This blog goes live
• Tuesday–Thursday → I’ll share mini reflections, prompts, and quotes on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook
• Friday → I’ll post a short video sharing how the practice went — the real, imperfect process

You’re invited to participate in any way that feels right:

• Quietly follow
• Comment or share using #MyPeacein50
• Download the free Calm Calendar
• Or simply try one breath, one check-in, one thank-you

There’s no right way. There’s just your way.

💌 A Final Word

You don’t have to wait until you’re unraveling to ground yourself.

Practice when it’s quiet.
Practice when you feel fine.
Practice just because you’re human.

Your nervous system isn’t the enemy.
It’s your oldest ally.
It wants to keep you safe.
And grounding? It’s how you say thank you.

This week, I invite you to try one practice. Any one.

And when you do, ask yourself:

What brings me back to this moment?

With care,
Lisa

💛 What I’m Loving This Week

• Sound: The sound of my cat purring while sitting on my lap. One of the best sounds ever!
• Practice: Putting my right hand on my chest and my left hand on my stomach and taking three deep breaths.
• Tool: Saje Essential Oils and diffuser. A colleague gifted some of these essential oils to me when I left my job and I can’t say enough about how well they help me come back to the moment in my body.
• Song: “Holocene” by Bon Iver. This song reminds me of road trips that my husband and I like to take to wine country every year. It’s a tender, spacious song that feels like a deep exhale. Perfect for moments when you need to soften and come home to yourself.

See this link for other resources that I recommend to help protect your peace.