I'm in the final days before closing on my St. Augustine home, and I forgot how truly exhausting and emotional moving can be. Amid all the boxes and decisions, I found unexpected peace through a creative project of building custom crates to protect my framed pictures. What started as a money-saving task turned into a grounding experience that reminded me how much joy and calm I find in working with my hands and being present in the moment.

In this Wise Walk, we explore how creativity can serve as a powerful grounding tool when life feels overwhelming. Whether it's building, painting, playing music, or teaching yoga, I share how creative outlets help me stay connected to myself and centered in my environment. I invite you to reflect on what activities bring you back to yourself and offer space to breathe a little deeper.

●      What tools do you fall back on to stay grounded, present, and refueled when life feels overwhelming?

●      Are you aware of the moments when you need to lean into those tools to retreat from chaos and reconnect within?

●      What activities help you feel grounded, present, and connected to your body, mind, heart, and senses?

●      How do those activities help you slow down and let the non-creative parts of your brain turn off?

●      What experiences in your life help you switch modes, breathe deeper, and feel more centered and satisfied through your senses?

I invite you to explore the creative outlets that are calling to you. Use them to ground yourself, especially when life feels chaotic. And if you’re inspired, I’d love to hear what’s working for you, so feel free to share and send ideas my way. I’ll see you next Thursday for another Wise Walk.

 

In this episode:

[03:27] To save money, I decided to build a crate system to keep my pictures safe while moving.

[04:18] I really got into the project, and realized I really enjoyed working with wood. This gave me peace of mind and will make moving the pictures really easy.

[05:20] My supportive sister agreed to help me. She also got a rush of satisfaction from completing the project.

[06:33] The project and the construction made me calm and helped me be present. You can't work with power tools and not be present.

[07:13] Creativity and creative outlets is one of my grounding tools.

[09:03] There are many psychologists and scientists that talk about the power of using creativity as a grounding tool. It promotes relaxation, triggers endorphins, and helps us be present.

[10:53] Rock climbing is another activity that helps me shut off parts of my brain. I need to be present for the next hold that I can grab safely.

[11:30] Make a list of the things that are in your toolkit that will help you express yourself creatively.

[12:01] Grounding is a way to center yourself on the most basic function. It's being present with what you're doing.

[13:28] Creativity and mindful movement allows us to use specific parts of our brain.

[14:03] Another way I'm grounding is by teaching yoga. When I'm teaching yoga, it feels like I'm fully present and grounded.

[15:37] I just wanted to share how impactful these creative tools have been for me during this crunch time.

 

Memorable Quotes:

 

• “Grounding is really just about tuning out the noise and tuning in to the here and now.” - Mary Tess
• “There’s something so satisfying about creating with your hands, moment by moment, and then stepping back to see what you’ve built.” - Mary Tess
• “One of the grounding tools that becomes really important for me when I'm under stress or overwhelm or exhaustion is using my creativity.” - Mary Tess

 

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Mary Tess Rooney

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