A simple breathing practice for those of us who need to remember we’re allowed to slow down
Feeling overstimulated by summer chaos? Try this grounding breathwork practice to calm your nervous system and reconnect with yourself. In this post, you’ll learn how grounding breathwork can be a simple daily anchor — especially during the chaos of summer.
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Right, hands up if this sounds familiar. It’s summer, everyone’s posting pictures of their amazing adventures on Instagram, and you’re supposed to be living your best life, but instead you feel like you’re being pulled in seventeen different directions at once.
The kids are off school (chaos), work hasn’t slowed down (naturally), everyone wants to make plans because “it’s summer!” (exhausting), and somewhere in the back of your mind you’re panicking that you’re not making the most of the good weather.
Meanwhile, you can’t sleep properly, your brain feels like a browser with 47 tabs open, and you’re snapping at people over things that wouldn’t normally bother you.
Sound about right?
Here’s what I wish someone had told me years ago: You’re not failing at summer. Summer is just a bit mental.
Grounding breathwork is a gentle way to steady your body and mind when summer gets overwhelming.
The Myth of Effortless Summer Living
We’ve been sold this idea that summer should be effortless — long, lazy days, spontaneous adventures, that perfect work-life balance we’ve been chasing all year. But the reality? Summer can be bloody overwhelming.
Longer days mean we think we should be doing more. Social events multiply. Routines go out the window. And if you’re navigating midlife changes (hello, hormones), the whole thing can feel like trying to stay upright on a wobbly bike.
Your nervous system doesn’t care that it’s supposed to be the “fun” season. When it’s overstimulated, it’s overstimulated. And that looks like:
- Lying awake at night despite being knackered
- Making simple decisions feeling impossibly hard
- Feeling like you’re watching your life from the outside
- Snapping at loved ones over absolutely nothing
- That constant underlying feeling of “I should be enjoying this more”
If that’s you right now, take a breath. Literally. Because that’s exactly what’s going to help.
The “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off” Breath
I call this the Earth Breath, and it’s ridiculously simple. You can do it anywhere — in your garden, sat in your car before you go into the supermarket, even hiding in the loo at a family barbecue.
Here’s how:
- Sit somewhere comfortable with your feet flat on the ground (bare feet on grass is lovely if you can manage it)
- Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts. Imagine you’re drawing calm up from the earth
- Breathe out through your mouth for 6 counts. Let all that tension flow down through your body and into the ground
- Do this 6-10 times, or until you remember your own name
If counting feels like another task on your to-do list, just make sure your out-breath is longer than your in-breath. That longer exhale is what tells your frazzled nervous system, “Right, we can stop running now.”
I come back to this simple grounding breathwork whenever my nervous system feels frayed.
Why this works: That extended exhale activates your vagus nerve — the one that says “all clear, we’re safe” to your entire system. It’s like hitting the reset button on your internal alarm system.
Getting Your Feet Back on the Ground (Literally)
There’s something our ancestors knew that we’ve forgotten: the earth is not just pretty to look at – it’s actually therapeutic.
I know this might sound a bit woo-woo, but stick with me. When you combine conscious breathing with actual contact with nature, something shifts. Maybe it’s the negative ions, maybe it’s just getting out of your head for five minutes. Either way, it works.
Try this:
- Find a patch of grass, soil, or sand and take your shoes off
- Sit with your back against a tree while you do your breathing
- Even just imagining roots growing from your feet into the earth while you breathe can help
I did this yesterday in my garden, feeling completely frazzled after a day of admin and life admin and more admin. Five minutes later, I felt human again. Not perfect, not like I had all the answers, but properly human.
The Question That Changes Everything
After you’ve done your grounding breath practice, try asking yourself this:
“What actually helps me feel safe and steady right now?”
Not what you think you should want. Not what would look good on social media. What would actually, genuinely help you feel more like yourself.
Maybe it’s saying no to that extra event. Maybe it’s having a proper cup of tea in the garden instead of rushing to the next thing. Maybe it’s admitting that you’re feeling overwhelmed and asking for help.
Your body knows the answer before your mind starts overthinking it. Trust that knowing.
Permission to Not Be Summer-Perfect
Here’s the thing about grounding yourself: it’s not about becoming some zen goddess who floats through summer looking effortlessly radiant (though if that’s you, fair play).
It’s about creating enough internal stability that you can actually enjoy the good bits without feeling like you’re going to fly apart at any moment.
You’re allowed to find summer overwhelming. You’re allowed to need quiet time in the middle of all the socializing. You’re allowed to prioritize feeling steady over looking busy.
Even just a few minutes of grounding breathwork each day can help you feel more centred, no matter what summer throws at you.
The world will keep spinning if you take a moment to breathe.
(You might also enjoy my post on calming breathwork for anxiety.)
If you’re craving more of this kind of grounding and connection, come and join us in the Summer Solstice Breathwork Ritual – a chance to pause, breathe, and remember who you are underneath all the summer madness. Details in the free group.
Because sometimes the most radical thing you can do is simply slow down and breathe.