As a creative, my work is not just similar to channeling: It is channeling.

When I was working on my most recent novel, I had similar symptoms that psychics have if they work too many hours. I felt physically drained. My digestion flared up. Basically, when we are in the creative zone, our mind lifts out of our physical body into the astral plane of ideas.

To compensate, we need to limit how long we spend working on art, and when we’re done with a creative session, make sure to close it off with a grounding practice.

Fellow writer, free your mind! Take my course, Meditation for Writer’s Block

In order to get the most out of creativity, we need to balance it. Deeper roots, taller trees.

In a recent podcast interview, my guest, animal reiki practitioner and animal communicator Olivia LaBarre, shared a few of her favorite ways to get grounded after her sessions. These same practices help me to reset my energy after a writing session.

I’m including a comprehensive list with a few of my own.

Take a Walk

Physically moving the body helps get the energy moving back in the physical body, in the dimension of matter. Moving the body around spatially also helps reorient the mind to Planet Earth. Even better if this can be a walk in nature.

Baking and Cooking

Using your hands to chop vegetables, to stir cookie batter, or even better, to knead pizza dough, helps to reset your energy on the physical plane.

Do Yoga (or other exercise)

Any physical exercise will help to ground the body, but the mindful movements of yoga are especially good. Yoga has the benefit of being a moving meditation. The focus on the breath also helps remind the mind that it is in a physical body.

Gua Sha

Gua Sha is a facial massage technique that comes from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the same origin of acupuncture. Like acupuncture, gua sha helps move energy. But, it’s done with a specially-shaped stone often made of a gemstone, which itself has healing properties. I have the jade tool from Lanshin (the brand has a great tutorial on YouTube, too). Know that the facial massage also increases blood circulation, which can help combat fine lines, dark circles, and acne scars. Lots of wins!

Get a Massage

Nothing brings us back into our physical body like a massage. It is soothing and pleasurable for the physical body. It helps with circulation and energy flow. It’s also an opportunity for mindfulness, and really feeling into the sensations as the bodyworker moves around your body. When we release tension in the body, we also release tension in the mind.

Eat Meat or Chocolate (diet allowing!)

If you feel like you’ve left your body during a creative session, a quick fix is to eat, and especially something heavy or dense.

Dry Brush

The origin of dry brushing is from the Indian practice of Ayurveda. Like Gua Sha, the dry brush boosts blood circulation as well as getting energy flowing through all parts of the body. Dry brushes are fairly inexpensive, and there are lots of YouTube tutorials. Basically, you want to start on your extremities and brush inward towards your heart, everywhere except your face. The brush exfoliates the skin and boosts lymphatic drainage (good for immunity) in addition to moving energy. It is very soothing. I do it a few times a week!

Fellow writer, free your mind! Take my course, Meditation for Writer’s Block