4 Ancient Ways to Ground during the Unknown

So much is on the verge of cracking open right now. Many of my clients say they are facing big, wide unknowns. Some are going through divorce. Some are leaving their jobs in search of a new calling that fulfills them more deeply. Some who are in steady relationships or jobs, are still asking big questions about what's coming up next in their lives. 

Throughout life we might individually face some major fluxes, but we're also in a time of immense societal unknown. 

Let's name a few of the contributors to validate why some of us feel the wavering energy in our atmosphere, and recall how we could support ourselves in this process of waiting and discerning.

We faced climate change, then an unknown virus pandemic, and now the life-altering implications of AI. Those of us who lived through the transition from picking up a phone attached to the wall, to now reaching the whole world through our fingertips and pocket devices (and even by eye glasses!), we know that how we relate with our friends has changed immensely, and we're on the cusp of another human tech revolution.

And that's not the only revolution we're living in!

The national anxiety level has skyrocketed because we're in a delicate window of time where laws are being broken by political leaders, and folks aren't sure if we can stop an authoritarian takeover of the government. (Indivisible thinks we can and has a plan- see it here.)

So yes, if you have an extra sense of upheaval, it is real. The discombobulation you may be feeling is legit. 

And, 

You can get through this upheaval- grounded in your values, self-care, and community-care. 

You could even come through this- more awakened into who you really are and how you want to love life.

Crises are opportunities to align parts of our lives ready to mature.

Grounding in Wellbeing during the Unknown:

4 Ways our Ancestors knew how

Option: Pick 1 of these that calls you, and practice it daily for a month. It might surprise you what extra grace flows in from a simple, dedicated shift.

1. Rest More

We are still human animals that need regular times of rest and quiet; our nervous systems and brains have not evolved at the pace of lightning internet. Real rest includes enough time with a still body, still eyes, and mind able to process without taking in new information. 

Maybe you don't need to get completely still, but give your eyes a break from darting back and forth wildly across a screen flashing images and creating more sensations than the brain has evolved to process.

The brain needs to digest all that the senses have eaten throughout the day.  When a lot is happening, we need even more rest.

Verse for the mind purse: Too much in, & not enough expression = depression

Yes, 

enjoy podcasts and music and everything that brightens your life, 

And at times, 

Turn off the podcast and music.  

Yes, 

work hard if you like.

And at times, 

just play, laugh and goof off.

Take 24 hour phone break if you can. Lots of new research shows how it raises our anxiety- here's one dedicated to teenage health Why wait? — Wait Until 8th

How do you know when you need more rest?

2. Nature communion

We are still human animals; our bodies are intimately interconnected with every other life form on earth, and our mind-bodies do better when we engage that connection peacefully. 

Get out in nature for at least several hours in a week, if you can't for 1 hour each day.

• Get your feet or hands right on the earth, or sit on the ground.

• Listen to a squirrel chomp its acorn.

• Watch a bird or mammal swim.

• Make love with a tree.

• Watch fruits and veggies change color as they grow in your garden or the community garden near you.

  
  

This will reduce the stress hormone cortisol, help you sleep better, regulate blood pressure, lower anxiety and depression symptoms, increase creativity, and so much more. Science says so. :)

Verse for the mind purse: Get outside for a better inside.*

Can you add 1 more moment of nature connection this week?

3. Listen in balance

We are human animals who live in relationships- in clans. We listen to what is happening around us, taking note of the climate concerns, political situation, technology, and our friends' lives. 

And we also need time just to listen to what's happening inside of us. Our ancestors weren't bombarded with news from other lands except by foot message- a lot less and slower than 5G.

To tap into the guidance of our inner heart wisdom. I believe there's something ancient, if not eternal, that continues to pulse and breathe through the energy of our beings. I think this trans-temporal stream that goes beyond the conditions of our time, gives each of us insight for the here and now. 

Call it prayer or meditation; call it journaling or napkin writing.

Tap into your personal stream of information.

Here's a guided meditation I made in Jan. 2025 that could help you center into yourself. 

Verse for the mind purse: When I listen inside, I honor my life.

Might you have at least 10-25 minutes a day when you can tune into your personal, soulful connection? Do you see it on your calendar?

What's your personal practice during upheavals?  Could it be...

4. Humor

A client came into my office with an ice pack on her cheek. She was in pain, waiting for a root canal the next day. I gave her an ice pack, and she was taking Tylenol, but nothing eased the pain like bursting out laughing. She said she needed to find a ride to the dentist, and imagined a limousine for the fancy occasion. A limo at a dentist's front door was just the first part of the picture; we added candy canes and drooling, and more laughs.

I credit her 100% for this awesome coping.

First, she started it. Second, humor isn't my strong suit, though I can get on a roll that's been started. (She gave me permission to share this anonymously.)

~

If you're thinking, "I knew all this already..." Great!

So are you fully grounded?

Or do any of these ring a bell in you that says, "I do need more of that." ?

The key is implementation.

How can you not just read this, but benefit from it?

It's up to you what you do.

For example: Could you make your own ditty that helps you remember to ground each day? 

Whether you dance, meditatively cook, paint, or something else, the key is that you have a regular experience where you feel grounded and okay. Where no one is judging you, pressuring you, or needing you, and you can tend to your spirit. We may even find a new way of being that brightens the shine.

I wish you the best in this time.

🌷 I'D LOVE TO INCLUDE ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS. PLEASE WRITE ME. :)

© Shannon Gorres, 2025. Written by a human, not AI or chatGPT. Please contact me to request permission before sharing. I will give you permission to share sections of it when you include "by Shannon Gorres, www.DivineNatureTherapy.com"