Feeling of the Week: Grounded

Grounded = Awareness + Safety

When you feel grounded, your body knows it’s safe enough to stay where it is. Your breath slows, your shoulders drop, and your mind stops scanning for what could go wrong. It’s not the absence of chaos around you, it’s the presence of steadiness within you.

During the holidays, that feeling can be hard to hold onto. Family dynamics, old roles, and constant stimulation can pull you out of yourself before you even realize it’s happening. The fix? Don’t aim for calm perfection; aim for grounded awareness.

Being grounded doesn’t mean you’re always peaceful. It means you notice when you’ve left your body and gently guide yourself back. You feel your feet on the floor, take one slower breath, and remember: “I can be here, now.”

In Emotional Endurance terms, groundedness is regulation in motion—it’s how we access choice instead of reacting on autopilot. The more you practice it, the faster you recover your center after being thrown off.

This week, try asking yourself:

What does grounded feel like for me: physically, emotionally, mentally?

What helps me return there when I drift?

What if being grounded was the only “role” I played this holiday season?

Grounded isn’t just a feeling. It’s a position of power, the quiet kind that doesn’t need to prove anything.