10 Day Grounding Challenge :Reflection

Last week I completed my 10 day grounding challenge. My intention was to write a daily blog post about my experience but unfortunately it didn't work out and instead I took the time to internally reflect. I wish I had some profound wisdom and magical results to share with you, but instead I have some challenges and realizations to offer. The ten day grounding challenge was indeed challenging. Some days were much easier than others and each day brought new challenges, but in the end these challenges allowed me to be more in tune with myself and find areas of my life that I need to strengthen. Below, I share my insights with you on each of the six pillars that make up the grounding challenge.

Routine

Pillar 1: Focuses on eating meals at the same time each day, not snacking in between meals, turning off electronics by 8pm, and going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day, including the weekends.

Eight of the ten days I was able to diligently follow a routine schedule and on those days I felt amazing. I woke up at 5am. My meals were at 7am, 12, and 5pm. I turned off electronics by 8pm and bedtime was 9pm.

The biggest difference I noticed from following a strict schedule was that my digestion felt stronger. At every meal I felt hungry which told me that my digestive enzymes were optimal. This feeling of true hunger before meals, left me feeling more energized and satisfied after eating.

Waking up at 5am was challenging the first two days but after that it was easy and I found myself naturally waking up without an alarm at 4:45. The two days that I didn't wake up at 5, I woke up at 6:30 and I felt more tired and less motivated. I know from the wisdom of Ayurveda, that you will have more energy if you wake up before 6 am because 6- 10am is the Kapha time of day, which will increase the feeling of heaviness in the body.

I definitely found this to be true. I also found that on the two days that I woke up at 6:30, it created a spiral effect in my routine, making me feel unmotivated and off balance.

Turning off electronics by 8pm was easy if my phone wasn’t nearby, but if my phone was in my pocket I found myself checking it mindlessly for no reason at all. The awareness of the mindless phone checking was important for me and as a result, I left my phone on a shelf where I could distance myself from the mindless checking of the phone.

High Vibe Foods

Pillar 2: Include as many alive foods as possible in each meal.

Some days I did fantastic, and on those days I felt more energetic. But more importantly it made me feel happier.

On the days that I ate more processed foods and less fruits and veggies, I noticed the biggest change in my mood. I didn't feel as motivated in my workout or as happy throughout the day. Research has proven the profound effects of the gut brain connection and how eating a plant based diet can alter your gut flora almost immediately, “ A person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That's because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected” (Harvard Health).

Movement

Pillar 3: Get at least 20 minutes of movement in a day, preferably before breakfast to increase your metabolism.

I’m happy to say that I was able to get movement in on all ten days. Most of the days I made it to a hot pilates class at 5:30am and then went on a late morning walk with the stroller around 11. The early morning workout was the best thing I could do to feel energized and motivated throughout the day. Surprisingly, working out at 5:30 am was way easier than working out at 5pm. I think this had to do with working out on an empty stomach. I felt lighter and my body seemed to move easier. I also found that starting my day with a workout created a ripple effect of good habits for the rest of the day.

Grounding

Pillar 4: Spend at least ten minutes a day barefoot on the Earth to receive the healing benefits of the Earths electromagnetic waves.

Scientific research has proven that Earthing can “reduced pain, stress, and inflammation and an improvement of overall mental well-being. This technique restores the connection between the body and the electrical currents of the earth.” - Odochi Ibe

My experience with grounding has been a profoundly positive one. During the ten day challenge I grounded daily, but I have done it almost everyday for five months and I can say that it truly has made an impact on my mood. I feel happier during and after grounding. On days that I don’t ground, I feel out of balance. It is the most simple thing to stand barefoot on the Earth, yet how many of us make a conscious effort to do so? Grounding, also known as Earthing has been my favorite mood booster and I find myself having so much more gratitude and appreciation for the natural world. This is by far my favorite of the pillars.

Mindfulness

Pillar 5: Get at least five minutes of daily reflection through meditation or journaling.

I found this one to be the most challenging because I scheduled it in for 5:15am. At this time I would find a five minute morning meditation on Spotify or youtube, and do the meditation while I sat in my car and let it warm up before driving to workout. It was a good use of my time, since I have a bad habit of hopping in my car and speeding off with the engine cold. This time of day worked for consistency for meditation but I didn't find it an effective time for me to relax. My body was cold sitting in my 38 degree car in the dark and my mind was wandering to thoughts of being late for workout.

There were some days of the challenge when I did a meditation laying in bed right before going to sleep and I found this time to be the most beneficial. I really enjoyed listening to a few manifesting visualization meditations on youtube and picturing my goals and accomplishments. I found myself focused and inspired at this time. The only down side was that I had to use my phone at 9pm to get the meditation from youtube and I tried my best to not use my phone after 8pm. This will be an area that I can definitely fine tune and improve on because the benefits of meditation are so worth it. As far as journaling goes, I love to journal, but I usually prefer to type on a computer, so it wasn't as practical for me for the challenge.

Gratitude

Pillar 6: Spend at least 10 minutes each day giving gratitude to all that you are thankful for.

Gratitude is the fastest way to raise your vibration and in turn the easiest way to lift your mood, manifest your goals, and improve your overall wellbeing. I connected my daily gratitude to my walk with baby Kaya in the stroller. The first ten minutes of our walk, I would say out loud all that I am grateful for and I would truly feel the sensation of gratitude throughout my whole being.

Each day I had more and more to be grateful for both big and small. I was surprised by how easy it was to think of all the things I was grateful for. Afterwards, it made any “problems” I had feel small and I felt happier and more energetic. I also enjoyed saying it out loud for my daughter to hear.

Grounding Challenge Reflection:

Overall I’m proud of myself for doing the best I could each day during the challenge. Some days were easier than others and obstacles and unforeseen things definitely came up, but that’s life and its important not to give up or start over to make everything perfect. Doing your best each day, whatever that may look like for you is perfect. This challenge was meant to challenge me and it definitely did. I feel positive habits forming and I know that this is only the beginning to create a happier and healthier me.

If you want to try the challenge, then go to my "coaching" page on glowfigure.com and click on the freebie to download the PDF today or download below.