In 2019, the World Health Organization classified burnout as a medical condition, defining it as “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

But why do so many people fail to successfully manage workplace stress?

I think it’s because they are trying to manage the wrong thing.

They are trying to manage their circumstances; instead, they should be focusing more on managing themselves.

This is where the practice of “grounded-ness” comes into play. In his book, The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds – Not Crushes – Your Soul, author Brad Stulberg defines grounded-ness as “unwavering strength and self-confidence that sustains you through ups and downs. It is a deep reservoir of integrity and fortitude, of wholeness, out of which lasting performance, well-being, and fulfillment emerge.”

According to Stulberg, there are six principles of grounded-ness…

1. Accept where you are to get you where you want to go – seeing clearly, accepting, and starting where you are; not where you want to be, not where you think you should be, not where other people think you should be; but where you are.
2. Be present so you can own your attention and energy – being present, both physically and mentally, for what is in front of you.
3. Be patient and you’ll get there faster – giving things time and space to unfold; not trying to escape life by moving at warp speed; not expecting instant results and then quitting when they don’t occur; shifting from being a seeker to being a practitioner; playing the long game and staying on the path instead of constantly veering off.
4. Embrace vulnerability to develop genuine strength and confidence – showing up authentically and being real with yourself and others.
5. Build deep community – nurturing genuine connection and belonging; prioritizing not just productivity, but people too; immersing yourself in supportive spaces that will bolster you through ups and downs and give you the chance to do the same for others.
6. Move your body to ground your mind – regularly moving your body so that you fully inhabit it, connect it to your mind, and as a result become more firmly situated wherever you are.

Ultimately, as Stulberg writes, grounded-ness is about choosing how you want to live your life. To choose grounded-ness is…

To choose acceptance over delusion and wishful thinking.

To choose presence over distraction.

To choose patience over speed.

To choose vulnerability over invincibility.

To choose community over isolation.

To choose movement over sitting still.

To choose grounded-ness over heroic individualism.