I traveled constantly in the first half of my career. I worked for technology companies in sales executive positions with responsibility for the entire U.S. Once I was in Anchorage, Alaska and Palm Beach, Florida – the very same week! I then took over Latin America and traveled to Mexico, Brazil or Argentina three weeks a month from San Francisco. To say the least, I accumulated many miles and a few wrinkles along the way. Now as a coach and executive recruiter, my life is different. I love to travel but I get to do it when I want and it makes a world of difference.

I recently went on a quick trip for pleasure. I left SFO at 11am and was back the next day by 4pm. I hadn’t slept well the night before I left and didn’t sleep well in my hotel room. I was going directly from the airport to my bocce match. Yep, I play on a bocce team – that’s what you do when you live in Sausalito. Because I was tired and a bit spacey, I walked off the plane without my bag. Halfway down the terminal, I remembered so I had to walk back and get it. Strike One. Once I was back to Sausalito, I stopped to get water at the local grocery store before the game. I left my wallet there so I had to go back and get it. Strike Two. Once the bocce match was over, I drove off in my car until I realized I had left my purse at the bocce court. Strike Three. No frickin’ joke. I was scattered and bouncing around like a nutcase. I felt like a spinning top. Chalk it up to being out of practice with traveling? One thing is for sure, my head wasn’t connected to my body. I wasn’t grounded.

It’s easy to get caught up in our hectic lives and forget to pay attention. Being grounded makes a huge difference. What does being grounded mean? It’s when you’re present in your body. You feel centered and balanced, no matter what’s going on around you. I am not one of those naturally grounded people, so I have to work at it. I use tools like meditation, yoga, and hiking to get into my body. I have found that if I am connected to the earth, I am able to listen to myself and hear what I need. If I don’t make it a daily practice, I can get out of balance. But I also can get it back as quickly as I lost it: the next day, no more crazy Amy.

If this sounds at all familiar, add a grounding practice to your morning routine. Go for a walk, take a yoga class or meditate for five minutes a day. Or just take some deep long breaths. You will feel more grounded and better equipped to handle your busy day with grace…I promise.

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