Grounding yourself as an empath and highly sensitive person is important to live a balanced and happy life. In this article, you will discover 24 powerful and easy grounding techniques for empaths and highly sensitive people.
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Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
As a highly sensitive person and empath, I oftentimes find myself feeling restless. During these moments I feel incredibly overwhelmed. Somehow, it feels like I ‘flow’ along with the energies of everyone around me. Moreover, it feels like I have no steady base to rely on.
Usually, this feeling overcomes me when I do not focus on applying grounding techniques. For highly sensitive people and empaths, this is an essential aspect of thriving in life. Therefore, I decided to implement grounding in my daily self care routine.
If you are anything like me, you may experience grounding like another effort that takes up too much time. That’s how I felt when I first started implementing these techniques. However, don’t worry, I’ve got you! In this article, I share 24 powerful grounding methods that are easily applicable to daily life.
These grounding techniques for empaths and highly sensitive people can be practiced during different moments of the day. Perfect for the busy highly sensitive empaths who still wants to take care of their well-being!
Here’s What You’ll Learn
- What Is Grounding?
- Health and Well-Being Benefits Of Grounding
- How To Ground Yourself As An Empath Or Highly Sensitive Person: 24 Grounding Techniques
- Change Your Life Through The Art Of Grounding
What Is Grounding?
Grounding (also called earthing) is the art of connecting with the energy from the earth. It sounds very spiritual, but is actually supported by science.
From a purely scientific point of view, grounding entails direct skin contact with the surface of the earth. For instance, skin contact through your hands or feet touching the bare ground.
Have you ever felt recharged after walking barefoot through the grass or on the beach? That, my friend, was the power of grounding.
You may wonder what actually happens when you ground your energy with various grounding methods. Everything on our planet is energy, including our planet itself. Consequently, all of us walk around electrically charged on an electrical planet.
These different energies react toward each other all the time. Consequently, science shows that our body reacts to the electrical energy of the planet, also called grounding.
From a more spiritual perspective, you can also ground your energy by mentally connecting to the core of the earth. Through the power of the mind, you stimulate your body to connect to the energy of the earth center throughout the day.
There are many different grounding techniques to do this, which are discussed further below in this article.
Health and Well-Being Benefits Of Grounding
There are many health & well-being benefits when you ground yourself. Here is a list of some of the benefits you may experience after applying grounding techniques in your life:
- Increase of energy.
- Improves sleep quality.
- Relieves muscle tension.
- Reduces headaches.
- Reduces or eliminates chronic pain.
- Decreases stress and makes you feel more calm.
- Improves blood pressure and flow.
- Reduces inflammation.
- Calms digestion.
- Regulates hormonal rhythms.
- Balances autonomic nervous system.
- Speeds wound healing.
- Reduces jet-lag.
As you can see, there are countless benefits. Hence, you should consider to give grounding a try!
How To Ground Yourself As An Empath Or Highly Sensitive Person: 24 Grounding Techniques
Now that you are aware of why grounding is important and how it can benefit your health, it is time to discover the best grounding techniques for empaths and highly sensitive people. I have divided the techniques into different categories, depending on the situation and things you need.
5 Nature Grounding Methods
Grounding in nature is the most pure form of grounding. Whenever I am able to do my grounding practice outside, I instantly feel how my mood shifts and my happiness increases. If you’d like to try grounding in nature, here are five valuable ways to do so.
#1 Walk Barefoot On The Ground
As the best grounding occurs in direct skin contact with the natural ground, take off your shoes and walk barefoot. Preferably, walk through the grass or take off your shoes when you are visiting the beach. This way, you can take in the proper energy without any blocking elements like shoes, floors or house foundations.
During the winter, you may find it more challenging to walk barefoot outside. For those moments, we recommend using a grounding mat, which helps you to ground your energy from the comforts of your own home.
#2 Forest Bathing
Forest bathing is the art of grounding by spending time in the forest. By taking in the smells, sounds and other sensations of the forest, you connect deeply with the energy of the earth. As forests are what enables humans to live, there is no better place to practice grounding than in the woods. Therefore, simply go for a walk in the forest, sit down on a bench or tree trunk and take in the rejuvenating energy of the trees, animals and air around you.
If you’d like to read more about forest bathing, make sure to check out our article on the topic here.
#3 Lay Down On The Grass
Remember when you were a kid and you would lay down on the grass, watching the clouds? This actually is a great grounding exercise! If you have a garden and the sun is shining, go outside and lay down on the grass. Moreover, put your bare hands on the ground and simply be present in the now. This grounding technique is incredibly calming and easy to do, as you don’t have to do anything besides laying down.
#4 Gardening
If you are lucky enough to own a garden, this provides you with another wonderful way to ground your energy. As your garden needs maintenance, you can use this to your advantage and include it in your grounding practice. Therefore, grab your gardening tools and don’t be afraid to put your hands in the soil every now and then. This energy is great for grounding! Moreover, your garden will thank you for your love and attention! 😉
#5 Touch A Tree
Another powerful grounding technique is to touch a tree with your bare hands. Often, people laugh at so-called ‘tree huggers’, but these people know how powerful the energy of trees is. Don’t worry, you don’t have to hug a tree, but I highly recommend you to touch a tree with your bare hands every now and then.
If you’d like to, you can visualize how the tree is ‘sucking’ negative energy out of your body and replacing it with pure, positive energy from the earth’s core through its roots. Also, sitting and leaning against a tree while reading a book in the park is very grounding for your energy.
6 Grounding Techniques With Water
Water is another powerful grounding technique to implement in your earthing practice. There are multiple ways to use water for grounding benefits. For instance, here are six methods to try out in daily life:
#6 Use Rainwater
Rainwater is the purest form of water, as it is filtered by nature itself. Moreover rainwater has not been in touch with toxins from plastic and factories. Therefore, I highly recommend you to collect some rainwater every now and then on a rainy day. Use this water as a beverage or to wash your face.
#7 Wash Away Energies While Washing Your Hands
When you wash your hands, try to visualize how you ‘wash away’ energies that do not benefit you. Especially empaths tend to be a magnet for unwanted energies. Therefore, it is important to consciously get rid of these energies through different grounding techniques.
Simply washing your hands and visualizing how the energies that do not belong to you go down the drain back to the earth core to be recycled, is an incredibly powerful grounding method.
#8 Shower Grounding
Similarly to the previous method, you can practice grounding while taking a shower. For instance, you can visualize how the shower washes off all unwanted energies and returns them to the earth core through the sewage system. You may want to listen to this short grounding meditation, while taking your next shower:
#9 Swim In The Sea Or In A Lake
Another effective grounding method that involves water, is to go swimming in natural waters like a lake or in the sea. As this water is in direct contact with the earth surface, it contains the right energy for you to ground. Simply go for a swim and feel how it recharges you. However, please make sure to pick safe places to go swimming, so you feel safe while grounding.
#10 Put Your Feet In Water
Foot baths are not only good for your feet, but also great for grounding. Therefore, try to take a relaxing foot bath next time you are watching a movie or your favorite series. Preferably add some foot bath salts, herbs or essential oils to your water for ultimate relaxation and grounding.
#11 Take A Bath
If you are lucky and own a bathtub, regularly try to move your grounding practice to the water. Fill your bath water with relaxing bath products like lavender oil or epsom bath salt and put on some relaxing music or nature sounds. Then, lay down in your bathtub and visualize how your skin absorbs the rejuvenating energy of the water.
7 Grounding Methods For Mind And Body
It is possible to ground your energy as an empath by focusing on your mind and body. There are various ways to do so and below I summarized my top 7 favorite methods
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#12 5-4-3-2-1 Method
The first method that I find to be very grounding, is the 5-4-3-2-1 method. It is very simple: name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.
This method brings your mind back to the now when you feel anxious, stressed or hurried. Moreover, it calms your nervous system and relaxes your own energy. From this state, it is easier to practice some of the other grounding techniques mentioned in this article.
#13 Body Awareness
Another powerful grounding method to bring your energy back to the here and now, is to focus on body awareness. Perform a simple body scan to redirect your focus away from your stressful feelings and sensations. For instance, you may want to try this quick 5-minute body scan:
#14 Mental Exercises
If you find yourself overwhelmed and overthinking things, you may want to try mental exercises to redirect your energy to the here and now.
For instance, you may want to spell your name and the name of three other people you know backwards. Also, counting back from 100 by 6 is a powerful mental exercise. If you are more of a creative type, you may want to imagine an object you know and draw it with the fingers in the air. There are countless ways to mentally redirect your energy to the now and away from what worries you.
#15 Journaling
Journaling offers you the opportunity to get your thoughts out of your mind and onto paper. This way, you can clear your mind and make your body more receptive for calm, peaceful energy through grounding. Especially highly sensitive people, who have a tendency to overthink, may benefit from this grounding technique. For instance, you may want to try these journaling prompts:
- What worry is currently occupying my mind and how would I solve the issue at hand if it would occur in real life?
- Which energy and what thoughts would I like to let go of right now? (Imagine how the thoughts and energies are transferred into your journal through writing.)
- Which energies from others do I carry, that I should return to them now?
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#16 Meditation
Another effective grounding method is to meditate regularly. Meditation helps you to be more present in the here and now. There are thousands of different types of meditation. If you are new to meditation, I highly recommend you to start with guided meditations, as they help you to focus on the practice. Meditations without guidance are for the more experienced meditators. For instance, you may want to try this meditation specifically for grounding:
#17 Breathing
If you are on the go and you struggle with not feeling grounded, focusing on your breathing is the first thing you can do. Oftentimes, when we feel stressed, we breathe quickly and with our chest. By focusing on your breathing and breathing with your stomach, you can calm your energy and focus on grounding.
For instance, you may want to inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds and exhale for 4 seconds. Repeat this exercise as often as needed in order to feel more present and grounded.
#18 Yoga
Yoga is one of the most gentle sports that also encourage grounding. Therefore, if you are like me and dislike sports, this may be the right sport for you! Not only does it help you to ground your energy, but you will also become more flexible and fit when practicing this grounding technique regularly. For instance, Yin Yoga or Restorative Yoga are great practices for grounding.
6 Grounding Methods With Support From Your Environment
The grounding techniques mentioned until now involve nature, water and yourself. However, there are also methods that you can try with support from your environment. Below, I share 6 grounding methods where you need external factors.
#19 Cuddle Your Pet
Guess who carries amazing energy because it always walks directly on the ground? That’s right, your pet! Therefore, cuddling your pet is a great way to ground. No wonder animals often are given jobs as therapy supporters. Their energy is amazing! Grab your cat or dog and snuggle away!
#20 Use Crystals
Another grounding method that involves external items, is using crystals for grounding. As crystals originate from the ground, they carry great energy. For instance, you may want to purchase a necklace with crystals or a bracelet with little crystals on it. Crystals such as black tourmaline, jade and pyrite offer great grounding characteristics.
#21 Eat Food That Supports Grounding
A wonderful tip I received a while ago from my neighbor, was to eat food that supports grounding. For instance, food that grows in the ground like potatoes, carrots or asparagus. By eating this food, you will notice that you feel more calm and grounded after a while.
#22 Use Essential Oils
Essential oils have many wonderful health benefits. Depending on the type, you can use them for various purposes in life. For instance, you may want to try lavender oil, cedarwood oil or sandalwood oil to feel more calm and grounded.
Put the essential oil in your oil diffuser or straight on your inner arm for relaxation. Make sure to test if you are allergic, before applying larger amounts on your skin.
#23 Light Grounding Candles
There is something magical and calming about candles. They seem to have a relaxing effect on whoever looks at them. However, there are also some candles made specifically for grounding. These candles contain specific herbs, crystals and scents for relaxation. For instance, you may want to have a look at this beautiful root chakra candle.
#24 Use A Grounding Mat
Do you currently live in an apartment and is it challenging for you to ground directly with the surface of the earth every day? I’ve found the perfect solution: a grounding mat! A grounding mat is a wonderful tool that enables you to ground at home, even if you do not have direct contact with the surface of the earth.
How does it work? Plug the grounding mat into a grounded plug and stand or sit on the mat with your bare skin. The reviews of this grounding mat show that people are incredibly satisfied with owning a grounding mat. Therefore, if you do not have one yet, get one ASAP!
Change Your Life Through The Art Of Grounding
Now that you discovered all these wonderful grounding techniques, it is time to start your grounding practice. Highly sensitive people and empaths who practice grounding regularly, seem to benefit greatly from it. Therefore, give it a try and see what it does for your overall well-being. Good luck with grounding!