Ways I Stay Grounded During Overwhelming Times
Low-pressure practices for calm, clarity, and emotional steadiness
Reading time ~4-5 minutes
Lately, the world has felt truly overwhelming — and if you’re feeling that way, it makes sense, because it is.
I’ve found myself needing to step back from the constant news, updates, and upsetting reports.
Not because I don’t care, but because I know how important it is not to lose myself in times like these. If you’re feeling the same way, you’re in the right place.
Managing your capacity — so you can be your best self for your family and your community — matters. And no, it doesn’t make you irresponsible or a bad citizen. It just means you’re paying attention to what you can actually handle right now.
Don’t get me wrong — there are times for action, and those can look different for different people and communities.
But there are also times when what matters most is feeling steady. Taking care of yourself, your family, and your days so you don’t burn out or shut down.
If you’re in that kind of season right now, I wanted to give you something that might help you stay grounded.
These are small, everyday things that have been helping me feel grounded lately. Think of this less as a checklist and more as a menu — take what sounds good, leave the rest.
1. Sensory anchors
One of the easiest and quickest ways for me to feel grounded is by using sensory anchors.
Simply put, these are small, everyday things that help me immediately feel calm by engaging the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
When things feel overwhelming, I don’t try to fix anything — I just start here.
For me, that often begins with warm food. Something familiar and comforting that doesn’t require a lot of effort.
Lately, that’s been soup — it fills the house with an amazing smell, feels nourishing, and cooks in about 35 minutes. I’ll link the new recipe I made here.
Smell matters more than we give it credit for. Lighting a candle, using a shower melt, or making a stove top simmer pot can shift the mood in a space almost immediately.
Fire and warmth have been huge for us lately. We’re finally getting some colder temperatures here in Southern California, which means a lot more time spent around the fireplace — enjoying the heat and the twinkling lights from the Christmas tree. Softer light changes how my body feels right away.
And then there’s touch — leaning into the fluffier blankets, a warm mug in my hands, and sitting close to the people I love.
These small physical comforts remind me that I’m safe and present right now.
None of this fixes everything.
But it helps me settle — and sometimes, that’s exactly what’s needed.
2. Narrowing my focus (and safeguarding my time and energy)
I’ve been paying closer attention to the signs that my body has a limited capacity — and I’m finally listening.
When I notice that I’m feeling overstimulated, tired, or emotionally full, I take that as information. Honoring my capacity helps me stay present instead of depleted.
Here’s how I do that: I start by journaling heavily, putting my phone on Do Not Disturb, screening calls, and narrowing my to-do list down to only what absolutely has to happen that day — nothing more.
Sometimes that journaling session is five minutes. Other times, it’s one or two hours. It just depends on what my body is asking for that day.
I recommend journaling so much because it’s the fastest and clearest way I know to hear your own voice.
When the world feels loud and overwhelming, being able to get yourself still — long enough to hear what you are saying to you — matters.
Journaling helps me stabilize my mind, especially at the beginning or end of the day. It gives me a place to slow down, take inventory, and listen inward. Most of the time, it’s not more effort — it’s more ease.
This is where I put the hustle mentality on the shelf for a moment. I’m not trying to optimize or push through. I’m giving myself permission to go slow, reset my focus, and meet myself where I am.
When I do that, everything else feels more manageable — because I’m responding instead of overriding.
3. Creating safety inside our four walls
When I talk about creating safety inside our four walls, I want to be clear: this will look different for everyone.
It depends on your home, your season of life, and the relationships with the people you share space with.
For me, safety right now looks like more family time, more laughter, and going the extra mile — even in small ways.
Sometimes that means dessert after dinner, just so we have another reason to linger at the table and make the moment sweeter.
It’s about falling into a soft, fluffy landing pad at the end of the day — a place where I can exhale and bring my true self.
That kind of space creates room for real conversation with my husband, but also lightness.
And honestly, it’s pretty hard to stay overwhelmed when I’m sitting on the ground belly laughing with our toddler, who thinks I’m absolutely hilarious.
The other things matter too. The cozy knits. A glass of wine. Game nights by the fire. The twinkling Christmas lights that are still up. Those are the moments that make me stop and think, wow… we have a really good life.
This is grounding in and of itself.
By investing time and intention here, I’m building a life that always has a soft place to land — even when the world feels chaotic and rough.
There’s something powerful about creating a life you don’t want to run away from. And that kind of life doesn’t happen by accident. It takes time, presence, and care.
Pay attention to what makes you feel safe, seen, and at ease — that’s where your version of this starts.
4. Choosing depth over doom-scrolling
Sometimes, when I feel overwhelmed or sad, I actually do want to scroll — just not endlessly, and not through things that make me feel worse.
For me, it’s healthiest to give myself permission to check out for a few moments, as long as I’m intentional about what I’m taking in.
I’m really mindful about curating my feed. When I’m on Threads especially, I look for things that make me feel connected — people sharing wins after beating cancer, kids having dance parties, moments of kindness across cultures, even the occasional #sherlocked post that makes me laugh.
Seeing those things reminds me that I belong to something bigger than whatever feels heavy that day.
I’ve learned that you can retrain the algorithm by actively searching for what you want to see, and liking or commenting on content that genuinely lifts you. Over time, your feed starts to reflect that.
And when I feel the scroll tipping from grounding to draining, I turn it off. I’m not trying to escape my life — just to take a breath and not feel alone.
I also love finding threads and discussions around things I enjoy — motherhood, culture, cooking, relationships, and definitely humor.
It quietly puts me around my people, and that, in itself, is grounding.
5. Returning to what reminds me of who I am
When everything feels loud or uncertain, I’m not trying to add new habits, fix myself, or keep up with whatever is trending.
I’m doing the opposite — I’m returning to the things that already feel like me.
This isn’t about self-improvement. It’s about ease. About giving myself permission to enjoy what I enjoy simply because I do — no justification required.
When I come back to familiar comforts, my body relaxes. I stop performing and start feeling like myself again.
If you’re looking for a place to start, think about the things you naturally reach for when you don’t feel rushed or watched. For me, that looks like:
Going for a walk
Gentle movement, like restorative yoga
Watching a TV show that lets my mind go on a journey — I just finished The Diplomat on Netflix!
Doing my nails or taking care of myself in small, familiar ways
Organizing one contained space, like a drawer or our pantry
Listening to this Psalms in R&B Lofi playlist
Journaling — sometimes briefly, sometimes longer
Talking on the phone with people who make me laugh (my siblings are hilarious!)
You don’t need to pick up something new to feel grounded.
Often, the most regulating thing you can do is return to what already feels like home.
Closing
The world may feel uncertain, but your life doesn’t have to feel unlivable.
There are still small, steady ways to feel safe, connected, and at home in yourself.
I hope this helps 🤍
With Love,
Ambyr
