Souleyness and the City: 5 Simple Shifts to Stay Grounded 

WellnessCity lifeDaily health
Written By Selines Sanchez

If your last “wellness journey” started with a green juice and ended three days later with a pint of ice cream and a Google search for “why am I always tired?”, you’re in good company.

Let’s be real– modern wellness overwhelms most of us. It’s easy to feel like you need a degree in biohacking just to get through your Monday.

Endless trends, apps, and hacks promise instant clarity—but most of us just want to feel grounded. That’s where Souleyness comes in. This evolving philosophy reminds us that balance begins small. 

It’s not about mastering everything at once; it’s about starting where you are, with what you have. Souleyness is about becoming. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s connection: to yourself, to purpose, and to the present moment.

So take a breath, loosen your shoulders, and keep reading—there’s a free “Find Your Ness” Becoming Meditation waiting for you at the end. Because before we can create, move, or breathe our way to balance, we have to learn how to arrive—to actually be here, right now.

1. Arrive & Embody: The First Step to Urban Mindfulness

If you’ve ever found yourself power-walking through life—half-emailing, half-daydreaming, fully forgetting what day it is—you’re not alone. In the urban jungle, “arrival” is a lost art.

Embodiment, the act of anchoring awareness in your body, is your first step toward Souleyness. Research shows that intentionally tuning into your body—feeling your posture, breath, and physical sensations—reduces stress, stabilizes your nervous system, and improves focus.

When you arrive—truly arrive—you reclaim calm in the chaos. You don’t outsource your peace to weekends, vacations, or spa days; you reclaim it in the in-between moments: entering your office, waiting in line, or riding the subway.

  • Mini Arrival Pause: Take one full deep breath before stepping into a new space. Feel your feet anchored to the ground—your nervous system’s “I’m here” signal.

  • Commute with Awareness: Notice the rhythm of the city around you. Observe without judgment—the sounds, smells, sensations. You’re part of the pulse, not lost in it.

  • Anchor Moments: Pick 2–3 recurring moments (waiting in line, washing hands, grabbing coffee) to check in: How do I feel? Where am I holding tension? Breathe, release, return.

2. Create & Calm: Using Creativity as a Wellness Tool 

Here’s a radical truth: creativity isn’t reserved for artists—it’s medicine for the mind. When you make something with your hands, your brain shifts gears. Your breathing slows, your focus deepens, and your nervous system gets the memo that it’s safe to relax.

Intentional creativity reconnects you to curiosity, joy, and self-expression—the core ingredients of Souleyness. It’s less about the final product and more about the process of letting your mind and body collaborate.

Here are three beginner-friendly ways to get started today:

  • Calm Down Jars: Fill a jar with water, glue, and glitter. Watching it settle can reduce anxiety and promote focus.

  • Collaging: Mindful cutting and arranging engages your sensory-motor skills and encourages flow.

  • Coloring: Remember coloring books? They’re not just for kids. Research shows adult coloring decreases anxiety and promotes mindfulness.

Intentional creativity is not a luxury. It’s maintenance for your inner landscape. Check out these 5 Simple Crafts to Calm the Mind, for more inspiration.

3. Acknowledge Your Body + Move It (Even When You’re “Too Busy”)

Grounding isn’t just a mindset—it’s a physical state. Movement reconnects you to your body and resets your nervous system, especially when the city’s pace pulls you into your head.

Small, intentional movements can shift your energy, regulate stress, and remind your body that it’s supported. Here are some simple shifts to stay present in your space—no matter how full your day feels:

  • Chair Squats: Slowly rise and sit without using your hands. Activates your glutes, legs, and core—key muscles that help you feel physically supported.

  • Shoulder Rolls: Gently roll your shoulders forward and back. Releases tension that builds up from stress and screens.

  • Desk Push-Ups: Use your desk edge for incline push-ups. Strengthens the arms and chest while opening your heart space.

  • Wrist & Finger Stretches: Flex and stretch wrists and fingers to release repetitive strain and restore flow to the hands.

4. Breathwork: Your Built-In Reset Button

If you feel like you can’t commit to any of the practices above, here’s one you can always do: breathwork. Your breath is your nervous system’s best friend, and it can change your chemistry in minutes. Slow, intentional breathing reduces cortisol, stabilizes blood pressure, and increases mental clarity.

Easy breath techniques to try:

  • Diaphragmatic Breathing (Belly Breathing): Inhale deep into your belly. Exhale slowly. Repeat. This helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system—your calm state.

  • Pursed-Lip Breathing: Inhale through your nose, exhale through pursed lips, about twice as long as your inhale. Repeat. This gentle pattern softens stress, and helps your body return to steadiness.

  • 4–7–8 Breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds. Hold for 7. Exhale for 8. A powerful way to slow your heart rate and quiet the mind.

  • Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana): Inhale through one nostril, exhale through the other. This ancient yogic practice balances the brain and reduces stress.

If you want a guided way to settle into your breath, you can listen to the free Find Your Ness grounding audio—a quick way to reset your nervous system in under 5 minutes.

5. Speak Your Truth: Record Positive Affirmations in your voice 

Your brain is a DJ—it plays whatever track you put on repeat. Most of us unknowingly loop the same old greatest hits: “I’m not good enough,” “I’m too tired,” “I’ll start next week.” Here’s the remix: repetition works both ways. Neuroscience shows that consistent repetition of positive statements can rewire neural pathways, increasing optimism and resilience. 

So, record your affirmations in your own voice (yes, yours!) and play them daily—on your commute, while brushing your teeth, or before bed. The brain trusts the familiar, and your voice is the most familiar sound it knows.

Examples to record and repeat:

  • “I am allowed to reset, realign, and begin again.”

  • “I honor my natural rhythm, and I move at the pace that supports me.”

  • “I shape my reality one grounded choice at a time.”

Combine affirmations with breathwork or meditation for deeper integration.

Putting It All Together: The Journey Toward Souleyness

This is how your Souleyness journey begins. You arrive and embody to find your vantage point—your Ness—and start the journey home to yourself, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day. You create something, not for the end result, but to reconnect to your sense of wonder and expression. You acknowledge and listen to your body, because it’s speaking to you all the time. You breathe, resetting whenever life gets too loud.

And then, you repeat. Because repetition isn’t boring—it’s how the mind learns, how balance builds, and how soul-led living begins.

What you repeat becomes your reality. And you, my friend, are the maestro—you get to switch up the tempo anytime you choose.

Before you go, download your free Find Your Ness: Becoming Meditation to ground your day—and explore more Souleyness wellness posts for tools, tips, and soulful shifts to keep your journey evolving.

Sources 

Hydration & the Human Body

  • U.S. Geological Survey. Water and the Human Body.
    https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body

  • National Library of Medicine. Water, Hydration and Health.
     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555956/

Sedentary Lifestyle & Movement

Breathing & Stress Reduction

Sleep & Circadian Rhythm

Embodiment & Mind-Body Connection

  • Mind & Life Institute. Embodiment.
     https://www.mindandlife.org/insight/embodiment/

  • Kaimal, G., Ray, K., & Muniz, J. (2016). Arts in Psychotherapy, 49, 71–76.

  • National Arts Program. (2024). 7 Science-Backed Reasons You Should Make Art—Even If You’re Bad at It.
    PMC. (2016). Art Therapy: An Underutilized Tool for Mental Health.
     Link

  • University of Wyoming. (2022). Sensory-Motor Skills Quick Fact Sheet.

  • Cascio, C.N. et al. (2020). Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 15(1), 1–12.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before trying any wellness practice, herbal remedy, supplement, or lifestyle change. Never disregard professional advice because of something you read here. Use of this information is solely at your own risk.


Selines Sanchez
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