It can be difficult to find time to ground yourself, especially if you don’t know what the practice really looks like for you and what you hope to gain from it. Once you know this, it’s easier to turn a goal into a plan. You’ll find yourself utilising those pockets of time for yourself more wisely, rather than being so frustrated that you miss those opportunities altogether.
Grounding is all about creating an alternative to stress and overwhelm. Being a parent is so busy and there’s so much to do that parents often report feeling frazzled and overwhelmed at point throughout the day. And often this can come to a head in the evening time, which can feel so unfair because you’ve to manage this and get the kids to bed!
You may want to carve out buckets of time for re-setting your central nervous system, but grounding is something best done little and often. This way, when crisis hits, your energy and focus are topped up and you can approach the situation with a level head.
Being negatively stimulated often brings about the need for grounding when it’s too late. Our senses trigger our thoughts, so nurture your senses positively throughout the day. Have pictures around the home which make you smile and remember good times, take time to stop and have a cup of tea, go to the toilet when you need it and sit down when you’d like to.
And I know these things may seem like a luxury, but once you get into it you get used to it and your nervous system begins to feel it’s ok to slow down. My best advise is to take short, regular breaks and fill your senses with what makes you feel good, even if for a moment. This is the anti-dote to stress and overwhelm.
And yes, it’s hard to do with the kids around, but not impossible. Over time they get used to you stopping.
This is something we talk about in depth in the Calm Parenting Club, and there’s so much in the app so you have what your senses need to help them slow down in one handy spot.
If anything in this blog resonates with you and you’d like support to create change, you’re welcome to book a free call with Bethan here to explore your support options. Make sure you download your free 5 Steps to Calmer Parenting and if you’re looking for immediate parenting advise, join us in the Calm Parenting Club.