Grounding Myself in The Chaos
Lately, I’ve been feeling the need to slow down. To pause. To find little ways to ground myself when life feels too fast, too distant, or too overwhelming.
I don’t think I ever realized how easy it is to feel disconnected—from people, from home, from myself—until I found myself longing for the things that used to feel so constant. So I’ve been turning back to them, in small ways, and it’s been making all the difference.
Facetiming My Friends & Family
Everyone is so busy lately, and catching up over text feels nearly impossible. A six-hour gap between replies turns into a struggle to pick up the conversation where we left off. But Facetiming them has brought face-to-face interaction back into my life. It’s different from texting—it feels real, effortless, like we’re just existing together rather than playing catch-up.
Calling my parents has been grounding, too. I haven’t been home in almost two months—the longest I’ve ever gone without seeing them. I miss them. A lot. But having them on the phone while I go about my day makes me feel like I’m home again.
Appa will just leave the FaceTime call on, carrying on with his daily routine, and I’ll do the same. No pressure to talk. Just knowing he’s there is enough.
Listening to Carnatic Music
Some things take you home—not physically, but in a way that feels just as real. Carnatic music does that for me.
Lately, I’ve been craving that connection to my roots, to my childhood, to the joy and peace I used to feel when music surrounded me. I’ve been missing my grandparents a lot, and somehow, going back to these sounds makes me feel closer to them. Like they’re still here, sitting beside me, humming along.
Rereading My Favorite Book
There’s something about returning to a story you already know by heart—the comfort of familiar words, the anticipation of moments that still make you feel something, no matter how many times you’ve read them.
For me, that book is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Specifically, Chapter 28—when Laila and Tariq realize their love for each other. Every time I read it, I feel the same rush I felt the first time. Like the moment is unfolding for me all over again.
Midnight Conversations That Make You Think
There’s a certain kind of magic in conversations that stretch past midnight.
The ones where philosophy, life, values, and the future all collide in the kind of deep discussion that only happens when you’re just tired enough to let your thoughts flow freely. When it’s the right person, you stop filtering yourself. You just talk. And somehow, you come out of it feeling understood in a way you didn’t even know you needed.
Lately, I’ve been having more of these conversations. And every time, I walk away feeling just a little more awake than I did before.
Watching the Sky Change & Doing Absolutely Nothing
Some days, I’ll sit by my window and just watch.
Sunset. Sunrise. The clouds shifting, the way the colors blend into something beautiful. I let myself be still, even if just for a moment. It reminds me to slow down. To breathe.
Sometimes, I’ll meditate. Other times, I’ll just sit with my thoughts, putting together a mental plan for the week. But in those moments, there’s no rush. No pressure. Just me, the sky, and the quiet reassurance that things will keep moving—whether I stress about them or not.
Finding Stillness in the Little Things
I used to think grounding myself meant having everything figured out. But lately, I’ve realized it’s more about pausing—finding peace in the little moments that make life feel lighter.
These things—FaceTiming my family, getting lost in music, rereading a favorite book, having deep conversations, watching the sky—remind me of who I am. Where I come from. And what actually matters.
And maybe that’s all I need right now.
