Simple Grounding Rituals for Stressful Days.
- Carmen Delprat
- Mar 15
- 6 min read
There are days when life moves faster than we can process. Thoughts stack up, emotions feel heavy, and the mind begins to run ahead of the present moment.
During stressful days, grounding ourselves does not require complicated techniques. Often, the most powerful rituals are simple ones—small pauses that gently guide us back to the body and the present moment.
Grounding is not about escaping life. It is about returning to ourselves.
Below are a few quiet rituals that can help restore balance when the day begins to feel overwhelming.
So take a leap and don't over think it. You do not have to be perfect, just pause in the moment and return to yourself.
1. The Breath Reset
The breath is one of the quickest ways to calm the nervous system.
Pause for a moment.Take a slow breath in through the nose and allow the air to fill your lungs. Then gently release it through the mouth.
Place one hand on your chest or stomach as you breathe.
Five slow breaths can be enough to signal to the body that it is safe to slow down.
Often we do not realise how shallow our breathing has become until we consciously soften it.
2. Touch Something Natural
Nature has a quiet grounding effect on the body.
If possible, step outside for a moment. Notice the temperature of the air or the feeling of sunlight on your skin. If you are indoors, hold something natural—a small stone, a shell, a piece of wood, or even a plant leaf.
Focus on its texture, weight, and temperature.
Natures unexpected gifts - a four-leaf clover find can be simply exciting to find.
This simple act draws attention away from racing thoughts and back into the physical world. You never know what you will find.
A splendid example of nature with all its powerful glory, this photo was take one day driving home from work, (the long way home). I witnessed the cloud formation and had to pull over to take the photo. I am so glad I did; to stop, forget about the day and see something so impressive, formulating while I stood there in the quiet moment. A form of visual grounding.
3. Recharging with the Energy of the Moon
The moon has long been a symbol of reflection, cycles, and renewal. Taking a few moments to observe its light can be a surprisingly grounding and energising practice—especially on a full moon night.
Step outside or find a quiet spot where the moon is visible. Allow your eyes to rest on its glow, noticing the subtle silver light as it reflects on the world around you. Take slow, mindful breaths, and imagine drawing in the calm, steady energy of the moon.
Full moons are often associated with release and renewal. As you gaze, you might notice a sense of clarity, inspiration, or gentle calm washing over you. The practice is less about ritual rules and more about presence—simply being with the moon, feeling its rhythm, and letting it recharge your mind and body.
Some people like to combine this with journaling or sketching—writing down thoughts or capturing the moment in a small drawing—as a way to integrate the lunar energy into their day. Even a few minutes can be enough to feel a sense of peace, wonder, and renewed perspective.
The moon reminds us that life moves in cycles, and that taking time to pause and reflect is a natural, nourishing part of our own rhythm.
Recharge with the energy of the Moon.
4. Creative Grounding
Creativity can also be a form of grounding.
Take a small piece of paper and begin to sketch. Let your hand move without overthinking the result. Use colour intuitively if you wish.
The intention is not to create something perfect. It is simply to reconnect with the quiet act of making.
Remember, everyone can finger paint - you would be surprise the fun this can give you, to play creatively like a child again and see what can happen before your eyes.
Many artists notice that when the mind feels scattered, the process of drawing or painting can gently gather their attention again.
Sometimes grounding begins with a colour, a shape, or a simple mark on the page.
5. Immerse Yourself in Colour
Colour itself can be a surprisingly powerful grounding tool.
Colour psychology shows that different colours can influence mood and emotional state. Soft blues and greens often bring a sense of calm and spaciousness. Warm tones like gentle yellows or peach can create feelings of warmth and optimism. Cool tones of greens and turquoise are natural calm hues that can make you feel reconnected with nature.
Even small moments of colour can shift how we feel—looking at a painting, surrounding yourself with colours you love, or choosing colours intentionally when you create.
Artists often understand this instinctively. Colour has a way of communicating directly with our emotions before the mind begins to analyse it.
6. The Pause Ritual
Another grounding practice is to create a small ritual of pause.
Make a cup of tea or coffee and sit with it for a few minutes without distraction. Light a candle if that feels comforting. Allow yourself three minutes of stillness.
During this pause, notice your breathing, your posture, and the way your body feels in the chair.
Moments like this remind us that we do not need to rush through every part of the day.
6/Returning to the Present Moment
Stress often pulls us out of our bodies and into constant thinking. Grounding rituals gently guide us back.
They remind us that calm does not always arrive through dramatic change. Sometimes it appears through the smallest actions—a breath, a quiet moment, or the simple act of creating.
The same presence we bring to making art can also be brought to our everyday lives. When we slow down and notice the moment we are in, we begin to reconnect with ourselves again.
Sometime the quickest way to ground oneself is to take your shoes off and go for a walk in your backyard or park and allow your feet to feel the soft grass, and the energy from the earth rise up into your legs. Simply let yourself be with nature, the quiet and feel all the elements around you, gentle breeze, soft grass, look up to the sky and give your body a well deserved stretch.
If you are lucky enough to live close to the beach, a simple walk along the shore allowing your feet to get wet and cool your soul is a quick way to return to nature and forget about all the hectic stresses of the day.
Birds and the Present Moment
Another gentle way to ground yourself is by connecting with the small rhythms of nature around you.
One simple practice is to place a little bird seed outside and begin feeding the local birds in your area. At first they may keep their distance, watching cautiously from nearby trees or rooftops. But over time, as they begin to recognise that the space is safe, they often return again and again.
This quiet exchange can become a small daily ritual.
Watching birds arrive brings a sense of presence that naturally draws attention away from busy thoughts. Their movements, colours, and sounds invite us into the moment. The soft flutter of wings, the different calls and songs, and the surprising variety of feather colours can be deeply uplifting.
Many birds carry beautiful natural palettes—subtle greys, warm browns, flashes of gold, blue, or crimson. Simply observing them can feel like witnessing nature’s own living colour harmonies.
Over time, you may begin to notice familiar visitors returning. Some may perch nearby while others gather briefly before flying off again. These moments create a sense of connection with the natural world that is both calming and quietly joyful.
Feeding birds can also slow the pace of the day. It encourages us to pause, step outside, and notice the small but meaningful life happening around us.
Sometimes grounding is not only about turning inward, but also about reconnecting with the living world that surrounds us. In the presence of nature—even in something as simple as a visiting bird—there is often a gentle reminder that we are part of a much larger rhythm of life.
Understanding Colour
If the idea of grounding through colour resonates with you, you may enjoy exploring it a little further.
I’ve created a short introductory guide called Colour Alchemy, where I share some simple insights into how colour, mood, and intuition can work together in creative practice. It’s a gentle starting point for anyone curious about the emotional and intuitive side of colour, and I’ve made it available as a free resource.
For those who feel drawn to go deeper, I have also created a series of Colour Harmonies books that explore how different colour relationships influence mood, balance, and visual energy within art. These guides are designed for artists and creatives who would like a deeper understanding of working with colour intentionally.
But wherever you begin, the most important step is simply noticing the colours that speak to you. Sometimes a single shade, a combination of tones, or a moment of creative play with colour can shift how we feel and bring us back to the present moment.
You can explore the free Colour Alchemy guide and learn more about the Colour Harmonies series through Carmen Delprat Art whenever you feel ready.
Even on the most stressful days, a small pause can make space for calm.
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