What to do when life feels less like ‘having it all’ and more like ‘doing it all’
Even the most successful women on the planet will be well-acquainted with dud days. When all the moving parts of modern life run smoothly, there's a wonderful coasting feeling and life is good. Then all of a sudden, and completely inexplicably, a series of bumps occur in the theoretical road and all four wheels come clean off. Missed deadlines, communication breakdown, low mood and an array of personal issues; the human factor kicks in.
It’s all too easy to look outwards in search of a culprit; hormones, karma, the full moon, the entire universe being simply ‘off’ - someone’s got to be responsible for this sudden all-system life fail, surely? But rather than assume the victim role, far more deserving of your time and energies is learning how to stop the spiral, bring yourself back to centre and regain focus. The best strategy to employ is to ground yourself.
Grounding techniques that work
If you’re too pragmatic to believe in ‘centreing oneself’ and hold a zero tolerance policy for ‘vibes’, consider grounding techniques as coping mechanisms to reconnect, refocus on the task in hand and summon the mental clarity to get sh$% done, no matter the veritable circus surrounding you.
Full moon bathing
Studies show that when the moon is full, we spend 30% less time in deep sleep and our sleep cycles are reduced by 20 minutes. Take a bath during a full moon, (the next is 7th December) and add Epsom Salts to relax your muscles and quieten your spiralling mind. Regular salt water is also mineral rich and particularly grounding.
Barefoot betterment
Renowned US Cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra
proved that planet Earth’s foundations emit an electrical charge and as bioelectrical beings, when we stand barefoot on its surface, we’re able to connect to it and absorb negatively-charged electrons that neutralise free radicals and
reduce inflammation throughout the body.
Take a brow
All
exercise is grounding as it gets you out of your tangled thoughts and into your body but Yoga is standout. In child’s pose, physically earth the brow by placing your forehead to your mat and breathe slowly and
deeply to balance the mind and activate your Third Eye Chakra of intuition and perception.
Set a worry window
Scheduling your anxieties for when you’ve got time for them sounds largely robotic but by allotting just 15 minutes to unpacking your worries, you can shelve them until then and get on with your workload.
A beautiful mind
Joanna Ellner is the best kind of witch. The capital’s leading Ancient Chinese Medicine practitioner, she’s armed with every acupuncture needle you need to be realigned, recentred and return to yourself. You’ll find her zen-like treatment rooms nestled deep in 180 The Strand Health Club where she dissipates the woes of stressed city folk and unlocks the creative blocks of London’s creative set.
Tech support
The latest
FitBit, Apple iWatch and Garmin health trackers now all have functions and guided
breathing exercises to rebalance, reestablish focus and remind you to ignore outside chatter and take moments to ground yourself throughout your day.
Grounding foods
Ayurvedic practitioners recommended a daily intake of food that grows in the ground and has physical roots to make us feel more anchored. Include beetroots and radishes in your salads, roast pumpkins, turnips and sweet potatoes into your soups and include fresh ginger in your tea.
Visualisation
Pandora Paloma runs entrepreneurial masterclasses and advocates visualisation to all her clients in need of realignment, “If you’re feeling off-balanced, shut your eyes and with feet firmly on the ground, imagine the unwanted energy leaving your feet and creating roots into the ground. When you are done, simply release your feet from the roots and walk away. You’ve released the negativity into soil and it will grow into something beautiful.”
Something in the water?
Acciaroli is a small Italian town south of Naples where one in 10 people lives to over 100 years old with remarkably little cognitive decline. Widely attributed to the locals’ high consumption of rosemary, many directly chew the rosemary roots themselves, cue the invention of No.1 Botanicals Rosemary Water.
Research papers on this super-charged water at Northumbria University found it oxygenated the blood to the brain, increasing calm, focus and the ability to concentrate on tasks.
Good vibrations
So much more than taking on tangles, brushing your hair with the
White Lotus Rose Quartz Comb, stimulates acupressure points in the scalp, relieves tension and triggers happiness.
