Women's Moon Wisdom Podcast Intro - Rebecca Rankin (00:01):
Stories teachings and guidance. Welcome to the Women's Moon Wisdom podcast with your host, Rebecca Rankin.
Rebecca Rankin (00:18):
Welcome back to the Women's Moon Wisdom podcast. It's so nice to be here together. In today's episode, we're gonna talk about five ways to stay grounded. And we have all had those days where we feel like we're getting swept away by stress, anxiety, overwhelm, and all the things. Where it seems like all of the external noise of the world echoes in our head. And it's hard to have a clear thought. Having a toolbox of self-care techniques to tap into helps you stay grounded and honestly helps you just be more capable of weathering the storms of life and don't get me wrong. There are many ways to feel grounded and in alignment with that place of calm, that lies within. These just happen to be my top favorite ways to stay grounded. Number one, yoga and guided meditation. Okay. I'm sure you saw that coming with yoga as one of my favorite ways to stay grounded.
Rebecca Rankin (01:21):
It's my go-to when I'm feeling out of touch with myself. Taking time, and it doesn't even need to be a lot of time, to move your body in connection with your breath can liberate the mind of just the excess noise and just help you feel better in just the physicality of your being. Whether it's an act of practice or something a bit more restorative, honestly, it's up to you in that moment, but regardless, you're sure to just feel a little bit more whole, a little bit less scattered, a little bit more connected to that place of calm that resides within you. Now guided meditations and I specify guided meditations here, carving out even just five to 10 minutes to meditate can do wonders for your mood. Yet when I'm feeling a bit frazzled in my mind, it's then hard for me to sit and be with my thoughts.
Rebecca Rankin (02:16):
So that's where I turn to a guided meditation. Having someone guide me through the meditation, something that will help me be mindful and help me create space between my thoughts. And my favorite, my go-to guided meditation is a loving kindness meditation. Loving kindness meditations can help alleviate stress, increase, compassion, social connection, and just increase positive emotions, among other things. And it's super simple to do. In fact, I have a free resource in the show notes for a loving kindness meditation, as well as a collection of other of my favorite guided meditations. Alright, number two, take a bath. If you're a parent of little ones, then you know that taking a bath is a luxury that is done when they are asleep. Otherwise you'll find yourself with little heads popping in and out while you're trying to quote, enjoy some quiet time. Once you can carve out time to indulge in a warm bath, savor it and do it up.
Rebecca Rankin (03:24):
Turn the lights off light candles. Yeah, totally sounds cheesy, but it's so worth it and dive into essential oils and bath salts and playing music, or listen to an audio book, sip herbal tea, maybe put an eye pillow over your eyes and let the stress melt away. And at the end of the bath, as the water drains from the tub, visualize, use your imagination, visualize all of your stress, all the negative energy that you've collected, visualize it just draining away. Third way to stay grounded, become a plant parent. Okay. I think I've reached that age where I've become a crazy plant lady. And I love it. One thing that the pandemic lockdown of 2020 gifted me was the opportunity to make my home more of a home, meaning more house plants. I wanna just put this out there too. Having a small garden outside is wonderful.
Rebecca Rankin (04:26):
Like we do, and it's such a joy to grow our own food. And I love it. It's this labor of love. You put in the effort and are rewarded with just a bountiful harvest and indoor house plants are where it's at. Totally my opinion, but they are like little pots of joy around your house. They're just these happy little things that love your attention, but also thrive pretty simply. Taking care of them doesn't have to be complicated. Talk to them, connect with them, and you'll be surprised how much joy a new leaf budding will bring you. I know there's other plant parents out there, and I know, you know what I'm talking about. My fourth go-to way to stay grounded - journaling, specifically gratitude journal. Keeping a gratitude journal is a great way to rewire your thoughts, to focus on the positive things in your life.
Rebecca Rankin (05:26):
And in a way it helps you build resilience against negative situations. And it can be just as simple as taking a few minutes at the end of the day, to jot down the things that you're thankful for. And just that simple act of writing it down can feel that much more grounding right in your body, in your mind. And you can decide how long your list is each day and how much detail you wanna put into it. Ending your day with a little bit of gratitude can help you ground into the sense of calm and just feel that much more grounded. Alright. My fifth way to stay grounded, go outside. Early on in becoming parents, my husband and I made a promise to each other and our kids that we would get the kids outside twice a day, every day, no matter what the weather was and living in Northern Michigan, there are plenty of frigid wintery days that have me asking myself if I should break that promise, but I never do.
Rebecca Rankin (06:30):
And we, as parents are always grateful for the fresh air, however cold it is, and the kids are too. Make it a priority to get outside twice a day, each day. Even if it's just for five minutes, even if it looks like a rainy day and you just step outside under your porch awning and take a few deep breaths. And when you get outside, when you're out there, invite all your senses to the party, feel the earth beneath your feet, take some deep breaths and smell the fresh air. Go for a walk, a run, a hike, a bike ride, feel the breeze against your skin. Feel the sun warming your body, listen to the bird singing, be present with a natural world around you. And also begin to feel that you're actually part of this landscape. Begin to feel that you're a part of this landscape and feel your part within this landscape.
Rebecca Rankin (07:33):
The more time you spend outdoors, the more you'll feel called to protect it and care for it. And when we feel a part of something greater than us, then we have a deep respect to help support it. Living a more green life can help us protect our planet from those of us who are destroying it. When we go outside, we realize that we are just a tiny little being living on the earth among many others and what a relief to feel, not so alone. Okay. So I have a bonus way to stay grounded. Be of service. Let's face it. This might be one of the most important ways to stay grounded, being of service to others, without any expectations of anything in return. When we are caught up in our heads and we feel like we aren't tethered to the ground, helping others will bring us right back to earth.
Rebecca Rankin (08:29):
We will get out of our own way and think of others instead of the noise in our headspace. And when we help each other out, we can't help but feel good within. You can't help, but feel more alive and more joyful. You can't help, but have a more positive outlook on life. When we work together, we are in touch with that place of peace that lies within all of us. And try it out, maybe it looks like making a meal for a new mom. Maybe you help a friend move. Maybe you send a letter to a relative or volunteer at a cleanup day at your local town park. Be of service to others and notice how you feel more complete and grounded within yourself. So there you have it. Those are my five ways to stay grounded, yoga and guided meditation, taking a bath, becoming a plant parent, gratitude journal, getting outside and the bonus one: be of service to others. I hope you enjoyed this episode! As always, feel free to follow this, so you are up to date on all the episodes as they come out and I'd love to connect more. Find me on social, on Instagram Women's Moon Wisdom. And don't forget to check out the show notes for the free resources. And if you have a friend that could used feeling a little bit more grounded, send this their way. I'll talk to you guys all real soon.
