Feeling Overwhelmed? Try Lying on the Floor
Sometimes, life can get a bit too much. And that's okay — we all get overwhelmed from time to time.
People have different ways of dealing with negative feelings, like going for a walk or watching a movie.
But one technique has gone viral on TikTok, and it's very simple: just lie down on the floor.
"Floor time," as people are calling it, involves lying flat on your back on the floor, and can be an effective grounding technique. In psychology, grounding is used to pull you away from any negative feelings or memories, and help you focus on the present moment.
It may be going viral now, but this type of grounding technique is a lot older than TikTok. In yoga, it's referred to as savasana, and people have been doing it for thousands of years.
So why is it so effective?
One reason, according to experts, is that lying on the floor can help you block out what's happening around you and give your mind and body time to rest.
When we're sitting or standing, we hold tension in different parts of our body, often without noticing. So lying down in this way also naturally relaxes the body and reduces some of that tension.
Lying on a bed doesn't have the same effect, psychologist Alan Fogel told The New York Times, because often, when we're in a familiar place, our mind keeps working.
"We think about what happened during the day. We think about what we could have done or should have done," he said.
Of course, everyone is different, and many things can affect how relaxed a person feels. But next time you're feeling overwhelmed, stop what you're doing and get on the floor — it might look silly, but it just might help!
