Grounding has changed my health and wellbeing in ways I could have never imagined. Grounding or “earthing” has been around for decades and used in many cultures around the world. According to the National Library of Medicine, grounding is one of the best kept secrets and an anti-inflammatory antidote for modern man. And I agree! Grounding is “a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth.”
The practice of grounding is free and takes little time. In addition, research has proven that soaking up electrons can lower inflammation, ease stress, and improve sleep, to name a few. It truly is amazing what walking barefoot in nature can do to improve our health and wellbeing.
How do we do this?
The simplest method is to go outside and walk in your bare feet. It is that simple. This connects your body to the natural electric charge of the earth, which is then transferred into our bodies. You could walk barefoot through your yard, garden, or even the beach. Other ways to practice grounding include sleeping outdoors, sitting on the ground, gardening, standing in the sea waves to name but a few. And if you can’t get outside there is a variety of products available to help such as earthing shoes, earthing sheets and blankets.
Since starting my grounding journey, I feel less anxious, sleep better and no longer suffer from aches and pains. Most mornings you will find me in outside, with a cup of tea, walking around my little inner-city backyard soaking up the energy before I head into my workday and now my neighbor is too. If I miss a morning, then I try and go outside at lunch or in the evenings.
Summer is a great time to go barefoot so get your shoes off and take a walk in the grass and enjoy some moments in nature.
Written by: Shari Gallup, Assistant Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension, Licking County.
Reviewed by: Ryan Kline, Extension Educator, 4H Youth Development Educator and Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension, Ross County.
Photo Credit: Gallup, S.L., June 2024.
Other resources available on the health and wellbeing benefits of nature are available at: http://go.osu.edu/Nature-Matters
Sources:
Healthline. (2023. March). Grounding: Exploring Earthing Science and the Benefits Behind It.https://www.healthline.com/health/grounding#the-science
National Library of Science (2023. Feb.) Grounding – The universal anti-inflammatory remedy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10105021/
WebMD. (2024. May). Grounding: Techniques and Benefits. https://www.webmd.com/balance/grounding-benefits
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