566: What to do when anxiety makes you feel ungrounded

In this week's Anxiety Slayer podcast, we're talking about how feeling ungrounded increases anxiety and sharing some simple practices to help you feel more calm and rooted in your life.

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Notes from this week’s show:

Feeling ungrounded is a common experience with anxiety.

Symptoms of anxiety related to ungroundedness include restlessness, looping thoughts, and feeling disconnected from our surroundings and those around us.

 

SOME BACKGROUND ON WHY THIS HAPPENS WITH ANXIETY

Ayurveda and the five elements and body types (earth, water, fire, air, ether).

Why the Vata (air and ether) body type is most likely to suffer from anxiety (though anyone can become “Vata disturbed”).

The qualities of Vata and how an increase in these qualities provokes anxiety.

 

Environment

How a Vata environment can trouble our nerves and increase anxiety.

To feel calm and secure, we need to feel grounded.

 

Finding balance and feeling grounded

Ayurveda teaches that the law of gentle opposites should be applied for calming anxiety.

If anxiety is provoked by lightness, cold, dryness, roughness, and movement anything that brings opposite qualities is helpful in calming anxiety.

Finding ways to keep warm and still in a soft environment is a good thing to try. We’ve talked in previous podcasts about creating a “nest” with blankets and cushions where you can curl up and feel warm and safe. Adding weight is helpful too.

If you find it challenging to be still, and Vata provoked anxiety sufferers often do, try playing calming music, and using grounding essential oils.

 

WEIGHTED BLANKETS

Weighted blankets can help and are therapeutic blankets that weigh between 5 and 30 pounds. The pressure from the extra weight mimics a therapeutic technique called deep pressure stimulation.

  • relieve the perception of pain
  • reduce symptoms of anxiety
  • improve sleep quality
  • relieve symptoms of depression
 

CALMING AND GROUNDING ESSENTIAL OILS

Vetiver is an Ayurvedic herb well regarded for its calming and grounding qualities. The oil comes from the root of the plant and helps calm the nerves and clear the mind. Try mixing with a little almond, or sesame, oil as a carrier oil and massaging into the soles of your feet before sleep.

Lavender, Ylang-ylang and Bergamot Orange is also excellent for grounding and calming Vata.

 

GROUNDING BEDTIME DRINKS

Warm almond milk with a pinch of nutmeg or saffron. Nutmeg is naturally sedative, and saffron is soothing to the heart. The milk helps you go to sleep and the nutmeg helps you stay asleep.

Chamomile tea is also an excellent choice to drink before bed. Did you know that drinking a cup of chamomile tea can offer the same pain relieving benefits as taking an aspirin or ibuprofen. Chamomile also boosts your immune system and can ease symptoms of anxiety and depression.

 

YOGA FOR GROUNDING AND CALM

Savasana / Corpse pose Rest on your back with your arms at your side palms facing up. Let yourself be fully supported by the earth beneath you, and let go of all tension in your body. Remind yourself “I am safe, I am supported” with each inhale and exhale. We recommend you do this for 5- 10 minutes.

Balasana / Child’s Pose Child’s Pose is a common beginner's yoga pose. It is often used as a resting position in between more difficult poses during a yoga practice.

Benefits of Child's Pose:

  • Helps dizziness or fatigue
  • Stretches and relaxes the spine
  • Calms the mind and body
  • Encourages strong, steady breathing
  • Releases tension in the back and shoulders
  • Child’s pose is always recommended when we have anxiety.
 

You can listen to our Guided Relaxations for Grounding on our Patreon. Spoken by Shann with music by Ananga, these guided practices can help you release tension, calm anxiety, and improve your sleep.

As a patron for the Anxiety Slayer podcast you’ll get a deeper dive into many of the topics we cover as well as over 100 downloads including our Guided Meditations and Tapping Sessions.

Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/anxietyslayer

 
Anxiety Slayer