How to stay grounded in uncertain times

During this time of unprecedented uncertainty, it’s easy to get lost in all the fear and stress. But the best thing we can do is to stay grounded. Get our feet planted in Mother Earth and focus on our spiritual practices. We are fortunate to have so many wonderful tools that can help support us in this time.

While it’s true we can’t control a worldwide pandemic, we can make self-care priority one. At a time like this, that is more important than ever. Taking care of yourself can take many forms: eating well, staying hydrated, and exercising is so important, right along with following the rules by staying home, social distancing, and washing our hands. Another important part of self-care is staying informed, but not spending all day mired in an onslaught of overwhelming news—too much of anything can be unhealthy.

Here are some of my favorite things to help you stay grounded during these times.

Spiritual connection:

Prayer and meditation are beautiful ways to help us center ourselves. You don’t have to be a part of a structured religion to pray, and there’s no right or wrong way to do so. Find a quiet place. Close your eyes, center yourself, and speak from your heart. Meditation is another powerful tool to help quiet your mind and calm your spirit. For those who have never meditated and wanted to start because of what’s going on right now, I suggest you go to YouTube and type in “guided meditation.” There are many wonderful ones out there you can try right now. Click on the video, close your eyes, and enjoy. You can also give yoga, Tai chi, or just a walk-in nature a try.

Positive emotions:

Positive emotions directly affect our immune system. You might feel there is little to feel positive about right now, but trying to increase our positive emotions will go a long way in combatting all the uncertainty around us.

When the stay at home order was issued, I’d find myself at the end of the day snuggling into bed with my husband and talking about the news of the day before we fell asleep. But I realized one night that falling asleep to positive thoughts would be more beneficial. So, I put two journals on our nightstands. The next night we began writing in the journals and sharing our gratitude with one another before falling asleep. Gratitude journals will help ground you and raise your vibration. Best of all, it will tell the universe what you want more of.

Another way to increase positive emotions is to watch empowering, inspirational movies and documentaries. Read uplifting books. Some of my favorites are SuperSoul Sunday with Oprah, and the Heal documentary on Netflix. I also strongly believe laughter is the best medicine. Studies have shown laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. What better way to fight off the coronavirus? So, pop some popcorn and watch a beloved funny movie. Some of my favorite comedies, like: Young Frankenstein, Airplane or Some like it Hot. Enjoy a good laugh and bring some playfulness into your life. Embrace the idea of getting grounded and touch base with all your loved ones by calling, Facetiming or Zooming. We are lucky to have the ability to stay connected with our loved ones while we still continue to socially distance.

Share your love, be kind, and stay safe.