Alyssa Mates – Newsletter, Second Edition. Come back to earth…

This month, I want to talk about something a little different. No spreadsheets. No budget categories. Just you, barefoot on the grass – and why that might be the most important thing you do for your finances this week.

You may have heard of grounding, also called earthing. It’s the practice of making direct physical contact with the earth – bare feet on soil, grass, sand or rock. The idea is simple: our bodies carry excess electrical energy that builds up through stress, screens, and the pace of modern life. When we connect with the earth, that energy discharges. The nervous system settles. The mind goes quiet.

Anxiety lifts. Overwhelm softens. And for just a moment, you can actually think.

What Does This Have To Do With Money?

Everything.

I’ve worked with many women who know, deep down, what they need to do with their money. They’re not short on information – they’re short on stillness. The noise of daily life drowns out the quiet voice that already has the answers. We scroll, we compare, we worry, and somewhere in all of that, our own wisdom gets lost.

One of my core beliefs as a finance coach – and as a woman who values self-reliance and self-responsibility – is this: the answers are within you, if only you would take the time to listen. Grounding is one way to create that space.

A Practice I’ve Been Returning To:

I’ve started taking ten minutes in the morning, feet on the earth, before I look at a screen or open a budget. Just standing. Breathing. Letting my mind settle into my body. What comes up often surprises me – clarity about a financial decision I’d been avoiding, or a shift in how I’m feeling about money that I hadn’t named yet.

It sounds simple because it is. But simple isn’t the same as easy, especially when we’ve been taught that being productive means being busy.

Try This Before Your Next Money Moment:

Before you sit down to review your budget, pay a bill, or make a financial decision, take five minutes outside. Barefoot if you can. Ask yourself:

What am I actually feeling about money right now?
What do I already know, that I keep ignoring?
What one thing would feel like relief?

You don’t need another app or another course. You need a few minutes of honest quiet with yourself.

Taking responsibility for your own financial life is one of the most powerful things you can do. And it starts not with a plan – but with a pause.

If this resonated with you and you’d like to talk about this in more detail, please reach out – I’d love to connect.

— Alyssa Mates