Learn How to Ground Yourself for Instant Relaxation

Grounding, also called earthing, is when you make physical contact with the soil, water, grass, or other Earth’s surfaces. Different techniques can be used, even when you cannot be physically present in nature. This may improve your mental and emotional health, as it allows you to focus on the present and manage your thoughts. In this article, we will offer guidance on how to ground yourself and explore the techniques and products you can use.

What is grounding?

Grounding is a technique in which the body connects with the Earth’s electrical energy when walking or resting barefoot on soil or grass. It is believed that this allows the Earth’s electrical charges to be absorbed into the human body.

People who do not have time to practice grounding or do not live in natural surroundings can use grounding products such as mats or sheets to engage in grounding indoors. These are built with conductive materials and are connected to an electrical outlet.

Earthing may be used on its own or as an additional technique to medical treatment. A study published in 2015 reports that grounding may help lower pain levels if you have had a sports-related injury. It may address inflammation and help wounds heal faster.

A 2020 study notes that grounding may work if you’re looking to:

• Improve sleep
• Increase energy levels
• Lower stress levels
• Manage pain

However, it's important to note that you should always consult with a doctor if you have a medical condition or want to start or stop treatment.

What do you think about earthing? Have you ever practiced it? Share your experiences in the comments.

How to ground yourself

Holistic practitioners recommend grounding yourself for 10 minutes if this is a new technique for you. You can walk barefoot on the beach, at the park, or even in your back garden. As you become more comfortable, increase the duration.

However, long working hours can make it difficult to find the time to walk barefoot in nature. In such cases, grounding mats, bedsheets, patches, bodybands, and pillowcases can help you feel grounded indoors while you’re sleeping or even while you’re working at your desk.

If you have swollen feet and legs, your healthcare provider can advise whether grounding is suitable for you. If it is, they may recommend practicing grounding and walking without shoes for at least 20 minutes.

There are different grounding or earthing techniques and what works for you might not work for someone else. Experiment, experiment, and experiment. See what provides the most benefit for you. See how you feel after every session. Do you feel more relaxed at the beach? Or do you feel calm surrounded by trees?

Physical grounding techniques

You may use different physical grounding techniques. You may also perform some of them before or after work.

Walking or running barefoot

Walking barefoot can help you make physical contact with the sand, soil, grass, or gravel, which are all natural conductive surfaces. A review of clinical observations suggests this may be beneficial for children with atopic dermatitis. Their skin may heal faster if they walk on the sand or play with their friends barefoot in the park. However, grounding has risks of injuries and wound infections, so it is better to seek medical advice if you would like to learn more about grounding for children and atopic dermatitis. Also, more research is needed to fully support grounding in atopic dermatitis.

You may also engage in physical exercise while grounding yourself. Research shows that exercising can help lower your risk for chronic conditions, like heart problems and type 2 diabetes. In addition, exercising in nature may provide added benefits; for example, it may help you feel less stressed, and some people may also feel encouraged to engage in a more intense workout.

Using grounding tools

If outdoor grounding isn’t an option, you can still practice this technique indoors by using grounding products like mats, sheets, or pillowcases. You can buy them from an online store, and some are even portable, which can be convenient if you’d like to engage in earthing at work or while traveling. Grounding during sleep has shown that it may help improve digestion.

Lying on the ground

Skin-to-earth contact can be achieved when lying on the ground. A 2023 study published in the Biomedical Journal states that even though medications, physical therapy, and surgery may be helpful, grounding may help speed up the recovery process and lower inflammation.

You may also use an ice pack or a hot water bottle when practicing outdoor grounding. You can lay on the ground even if you don't have pain.

Swimming

Healing sessions may include swimming in natural water or grounded pools. Natural water is conductive, but so are concrete or cement pools. Don't go for plastic pools, as these are not conductive.

You can engage in exercise to build strength while grounding yourself in water.

Gardening

Simple gardening is another technique to help you connect with the Earth. This involves the physical act of planting and nurturing plants, which some may find therapeutic. When touching the soil, it is believed the electrons get transferred to your body, which is how you can benefit from earthing. However, caution is advised when walking barefoot in soil or using gardening equipment. Some risks include injuries from sharp objects like thorns or infections of current wounds.

Gardening can be considered a form of strenuous exercise and may pose certain risks. Be well prepared and take necessary precautions by wearing protective gear, such as eye protection, gloves, and sturdy footwear. Be mindful of insects, sharp tools, and other hazards you may come across. If you have any health concerns, seek medical advice before engaging in any gardening activities.

Mental grounding techniques

Mental grounding techniques help your mind focus on the present moment so that you feel less stressed or anxious. These practices can calm your nervous system, improving mental clarity, focus, and overall well-being. Below, we discuss some of the mental grounding techniques backed by scientific evidence.

Meditation

Meditation is not a new technique; people have been practicing it for a long time. It connects the body with the mind to help your mind feel calmer. Meditation teaches you to focus on just one sensation, such as breathing or a visual image.

Meditating in natural surroundings may help reduce symptoms of depression, according to a 2022 study. However, further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of nature-based meditation.

Mindful breathing

Mindful breathing involves consciously becoming aware of your inhales and exhales, helping you focus on the present moment. Research shows that engaging in these breathing exercises for five minutes, three times a day, may lower stress and improve mindfulness in people with cancer. Moreover, this technique is easy to apply and can be done anywhere and anytime to support mindfulness and reduce stress.

Deep breathing

Taking short breaths is associated with an increased feeling of anxiety, as you reduce oxygen intake and use more energy. If you experience this, try taking deep breaths to calm yourself down.

Breathing deeply can be particularly beneficial during stressful situations, such as at work, where you spend most of your time, are likely to experience stress, and may be less physically active. To manage stress effectively, take regular breaks to breathe slowly and deeply, exhaling through your nose. For added focus, place your hands on your belly and chest, and you’ll notice your belly rising and falling as you breathe in and out.

This may be an effective everyday technique if you are stressed or have anxious thoughts. It may also help lower your blood pressure levels.

Mindful eating

Mindful eating is conscious eating. It is usually performed by people who may wish to lose weight, but its aim is mostly to make you feel aware of what you are eating and how it makes you feel. It may also be helpful for someone with diabetes, as it may help them adjust their diet.

Mindful eating can be part of a grounding exercise. Grounding helps you focus on what is happening in the present moment. When eating consciously, you pay attention to what you’re feeling as you bite or chew, allowing your mind to concentrate on the food’s taste, texture, and aroma.

You can try this with any food. For example, put a raisin in your mouth. How does it feel? Does it have a taste? What happens when you bite down? Were you feeling hungry, stressed, or lonely before reaching for the raisin?

This approach makes people more cautious of what and how often they eat, making them more likely to choose healthier options and follow a consistently healthy lifestyle.

Journaling

Journaling involves writing about your thoughts and feelings, which may help reduce stress. In one study, families, children, and doctors from a children's hospital engaged in a journaling exercise where they had to write what they were grateful for, six words that described their life, and their wishes.

Researchers followed up after 12–18 months. They found that the majority of the participants found the exercise to be helpful, while 59% continued writing to help them manage their stress levels.

Visualization

Visualization involves focusing on a mental image to relax your mind. It may remind you of daydreaming, as it uses your imagination. It works on your relaxation skills, as it reduces the flight-or-fight response that your body produces when you are anxious.

Another name for the fight-or-flight response is the acute stress response. When faced with a physical threat or something mentally terrifying, your body releases hormones to help determine how to react.

If you do not have time to spend in nature, you can use nature-based guided imagery. Studies show that this may help lower your anxiety symptoms.

You may perform a visualization exercise alone or ask someone else to guide you and help you stay focused. For example, you may think about a sandy beach and the sound of the waves. You may then take slow breaths to match the wave movement.

Emotional grounding techniques

Emotional grounding techniques help you maintain emotional stability and focus on activities in which you can control your emotions. These include:

Emotional freedom technique

Also called tapping, the emotional freedom technique (EFT) involves tapping on pressure points on your body, such as the wrist or hand. These are similar to the points that may be used during acupressure. There is not enough research on EFT. However, it is believed that negative thoughts may cause an imbalance in your nervous system, and tapping re-achieves an equilibrium as you manage unwanted thoughts.

Think of something that you are worried about and establish a phrase about your problem. If it is work-related, say something like "I am anxious about my upcoming presentation at work, but I know that I can do it." Say it out loud, and in the meantime, tap multiple times on your pressure points such as your hand, eyebrow, or head. Then, see how you feel afterward.

Creative expression

Is there something you like doing when you are not working? This could be painting, writing, drawing, or playing a musical instrument. These are all artistic expressions that help you express your feelings.

According to research, art therapy can be advantageous in an adult's life. It may improve your mental health state and be used as an additional treatment to improve your quality of life.

Positive affirmations

Positive affirmations are statements that you write down or say out loud when you feel low. They may be useful if you are going through a difficult situation and talk negatively about yourself.

Positive affirmations may include similar phrases like:

• “I am strong.”
• “My feelings are valid, and it is okay to feel sad sometimes.”
• “I have made some mistakes, but I have learned from them.”
• “Toxic people do not deserve my time. I deserve to be surrounded by people who respect me.”

Sensory awareness

In this technique, you use your five senses — hearing, taste, smell, touch, and sight. It helps you stay grounded in the present moment.

The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is a grounding technique that may be used to help people manage their anxiety and stress. You have to find:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

All of them have to be found in your surrounding environment.

Connecting with a loved one

If you have distressing thoughts, you can spend time with someone you trust to help you feel grounded. It should be a person that supports you and helps you feel connected. It could be your partner, friend, or relative. This can be beneficial both for your physical wellness and emotional health.

If you are looking to make new friends, you can join local groups where you can meet people who share the same hobbies and interests.

How to integrate grounding into daily life

If you’re considering taking grounding seriously, you may want to keep these in mind:

1. Duration. The duration of your grounding session is totally up to you. You may aim for 10–30 minutes to experience consistent results.
2. Storage. You may keep a personalized toolkit where you store all your grounding products, like your mat, sheet, or diary. You can carry the toolkit with you when you feel like grounding yourself.
3. Routine. Grounding sessions can take place at any time — when you are resting in bed, exercising, practicing yoga, swimming, etc.
4. Consistency. Get into a regular grounding routine. Set reminders on your phone and decide if you want to do it alone or with someone else.

Grounding can be performed when you meditate, express your ideas in art, or engage in a guided imagery session. It may be beneficial for your nervous system and mental well-being. You can choose your preferred technique and decide how long the grounding session should be.

If you have any health concerns or questions about grounding yourself, consult both a physician and a mental health therapist. They can offer personalized guidance based on your symptoms and condition.

What do you think about the grounding techniques discussed in this article? Post your questions in the comment section below.