I used to be quite into the woo-woo stuff when I was younger…crystals, conspiracy theories and mayan codes etc – but as I’ve matured I’ve become decidedly more pragmatic with a healthier respect for evidence-based natural health.

So I must admit, I was somewhat skeptical about the tool I’m about to share with you until I started looking at the albeit small but growing number of studies backing this up.

If you’re feeling anxious or stressed, have trouble sleeping or experience ongoing muscle pain and tension, believe it or not, one simple way to feel better is to simply put your bare feet on the earth regularly for 15-30 minutes at a time – this is called “Earthing” or “Grounding”.

The theory is, the Earth has a negatively charged electromagnetic field (and negative refers to the charge, it doesn’t mean bad!) Over time, especially in modern day life, our bodies build up a positive charge, and direct contact with the earth can neutralise this positive charge and return the body to a more neutral state.

In ancient times we walked, slept and worked on the earth (either barefoot or with natural leather footwear) and this close contact allowed the ground’s abundant free electrons to enter the body, which is electrically conductive. Through this mechanism, every part of the body could harmonise with the electrical potential of the Earth, thereby stabilizing the electrical environment of all organs, tissues, and cells.

These days of course, we sleep high off the ground, rarely spend much time outside especially barefoot and are also exposed to excessive electromagnetic radiation from our devices. Plastics, synthetic fabrics, asphalt, tar, carpets, vinyl have all been introduced and also block this natural connection.

The Benefits of Earthing

While most of the evidence is anecdotal in nature, there are a few small studies showing interesting results, and this paper in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health  summarises several intriguing ones. One suggests that the negative charge of the earth can actually produce an antioxidant effect to reduce free-radical damage and chronic inflammation.

Another study using earthing “pads” (mats connected to an earth ground outside), showed that sleeping on these pads can improve sleep, as well as provide significant relief from asthmatic and respiratory conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, PMS, sleep apnea, and hypertension for some.

Interestingly, sleeping with earthing pads can also normalise cortisol rhythms…this is important for both insomnia and anxiety, I often see elevated cortisol patterns in my patients with these conditions when we do salivary hormone testing. In a normal person, cortisol should be higher in the morning, and lower at night, but in anxiety and insomina, this pattern can be completely out of whack – and one study showed 6 weeks of sleeping with an earthing pad can create a more normal cortisol pattern.

Athletes have long known about and used earthing to recover from muscle-soreness. The doctor for the US Tour de France team including Lance Armstrong, used grounding to help the team recover from injuries and for optimal rest during competition.

A Simple Way to Get Started with Earthing

While there’s all sorts of products available to help with earthing while indoors such as sleep pads and also mats to sit on or place under your computer to protect from EMFs, I think it’s best to go the free, natural route first and see for yourself if it makes a difference.

Start with 15-30 minutes a day of walking barefoot (or sitting or lying) on grass, sand, rocks, dirt or even concrete. I like this idea because then you’re also getting time in nature, fresh air plus a vitamin D boost, all proven health-boosters.

Walking or swimming in the ocean is even better, as there are negative ions in the air at the seaside which also help to calm the body.

Other ideas include:

• Gardening with bare hands
• Hugging a living tree
• Leaning up against a living tree
• Sleeping on the earth while camping
• Wearing natural leather-soled shoes instead of synthetic rubber/plastic shoes

So tell me in the comments below – have you ever tried Earthing or used any Earthing products? If so, I’d love to hear if you’ve noticed any benefits for yourself!

And of course, anxiety is always multi-factorial in nature, there are usually some hidden physical factors that can be behind many mental health symptoms – this is what I help my patients with in my naturopathic practice, you can learn more about my services here.