Earthing Hacks 101: Modern Solutions for Reconnecting with Nature Indoors and Outdoors
Earthing, or grounding, refers to direct physical contact with the Earth’s surface, as all humans did up until the modern advent of insulated shoes and buildings. Benefits of earthing include reducing inflammation, improving sleep, and increasing energy levels by allowing your body to absorb electrons from the Earth. Whether you want to get grounded outside or stay connected indoors, this guide will show you how to easily integrate earthing hacks into your daily routine.
Outdoor Earthing Hacks
1. Going Barefoot
The original earthing hack is simply to earth yourself by walking barefoot on natural surfaces like grass, soil, sand, or even gravel. By directly connecting your skin to the Earth, you allow free electrons to enter your body, helping to neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammation.
2. Laying on the Bare Earth
Take a natural fiber blanket (or go without one) and lie down on the ground. Whether it's in a park, forest, or your backyard, this direct connection helps ground your body as you relax or meditate. The larger the surface area of your body touching the Earth, the more grounding potential you have.
3. Swimming or Wading in Natural Bodies of Water
Natural bodies of water, like lakes, rivers, and oceans, are highly conductive. Swimming or wading barefoot in these waters is an excellent earthing hack, as water enhances the conductivity between your body and the Earth’s electrical charge.
4. Earthing Shoes and Sandals
Let’s be real: it’s not possible nor practical to go barefoot 24/7 in our modern world. Our favorite earthing hack for those times when footwear is required is wearing earthing shoes or earthing sandals. With their conductive earthing plugs, earthing footwear allows you to be grounded on any natural surface.
5. DIY Earthing Shoe Kit
If you have a favorite pair of shoes you can’t part with, consider using a DIY kit to convert your shoes, like the iON SYNC Earthing Shoe DIY Kit. This kit is the ultimate earthing hack for transforming minimalist footwear into grounded footwear, enabling you to ground yourself without giving up your current shoes.
6. Hugging or Touching a Tree
Trees have deep roots that connect with the Earth’s electric field. Hugging or touching a tree can be a powerful way to ground yourself. It may sound pretty hippy, but it’s a pretty groovy way to tune into the energy of nature!
7. Gardening
A gardener’s best earthing hack is to ditch the gloves! Gardening, particularly when your hands are in direct contact with the soil, is a fantastic way to get grounded. As you tend to your plants, you're grounding yourself through the earth, benefiting both your mind and body.
8. Camping
Camping is an immersive earthing experience. When you sleep on the ground in a tent (especially on a conductive mat or pad), you stay grounded throughout the night, giving your body prolonged exposure to the Earth’s electrons. It's an excellent way to reset and recharge.
Indoor Earthing Hacks
For those who can’t get outside regularly, indoor earthing devices allow you to stay grounded in your home or office.
1. Earthing Sheets
Earthing has been shown to improve sleep, so earthing hacks for the bedroom are powerful for anyone looking to have more restful sleep.
Earthing sheets are bed linens with conductive materials woven into them. These allow you to stay grounded while sleeping by connecting the sheet to a grounding plug in your wall socket. You can rest and heal as you sleep, soaking up the Earth’s electrons.
And all you need are 2 things! An earthing sheet and earthing rod.
2. Earthing Pillow
Just like earthing sheets, earthing pillows offer a way to ground yourself while sleeping or resting. These pillows have conductive fibers that help discharge the body’s free radicals.
3. Earthing Patches
One of the more biohacker-style earthing hacks, earthing patches are small adhesive patches that connect to grounding cords. They’re often used to target specific areas of the body where you may feel pain or tension. By sticking the patch onto your skin, you can send healing energy to that area while remaining grounded.
To DIY your own earthing patches, here's a list of components:
1. Ground Rod 3/8''x4'
2. 3.5mm Mono Male to Female Extension Cable 25ft
3. 1/4 Inch Mono Plug to 3.5mm Stereo Jack Adaptor
4. 100pcs 3M Electrode Patches
5. (2x) Electrodes Lead Wires
4. Earthing Yoga Mat
For yoga or meditation lovers, an earthing yoga mat allows you to ground yourself while practicing indoors. The mat contains conductive materials that allow the Earth’s energy to flow through your body as you exercise or meditate.
5. Earthing Standing Mat
Many of us work desk jobs, so these next few earthing hacks will focus on ways you can ground while at the office. If you spend long hours standing at a desk or counter, consider an earthing standing mat. These mats keep you grounded as you stand, helping reduce fatigue and increase energy.
6. Earthing Chair Mat
Similar to standing mats, earthing chair mats can be placed under your desk or seating area. Whether you’re working or relaxing, these mats keep you grounded as you sit for extended periods.
7. Earthing Keyboard Mat
For those who spend a lot of time typing at a computer, an earthing keyboard mat allows you to stay grounded as you work. It works similarly to a mouse pad, with conductive material built into the mat to keep your hands connected to the Earth.
8. Earthing Bracelet or Band
Earthing bracelets and bands are wearable grounding devices that can be used at home or on the go. Simply strap one around your wrist or ankle and plug it into a grounded outlet, and you can stay connected to the Earth even while inside.
9. Showering
Surprisingly, taking a shower can also ground you. Water is a conductor, and because your home's plumbing system is usually grounded, the water flowing over your body can offer some grounding benefits. It's not as strong as direct contact with the Earth, but it's still effective!
10. Earthing Car Seat Pad
If you spend a lot of time driving, an earthing car seat pad can keep you grounded while you’re on the road. These pads contain conductive materials that allow you to connect to the Earth’s energy while seated in your vehicle.
11. Earthing Socks
While socks are not inherently conductive, they do become conductive as a result of perspiration from the foot working its way into the socks, aided by the weight of your body pushing through the fabric into the earth. You can remain grounded wearing socks with earthing shoes due to the accelerated perspiration from the foot (that happens in shoes) working its way into the socks, aided by the weight of your body pushing through the fabric into the sole of the shoe or the conductive laces securely wrapped around your foot causing perspiration underneath. This also tests at about 90% as effective as compared to wearing the earthing shoes barefoot.
For those looking to keep their feet warm indoors, our favorite earthing hack are actual earthing socks, which are designed with conductive fibers that allow you to stay grounded indoors. You can wear them indoors while standing on an earthing mat or sleeping on earthing sheets to keep your feet in direct contact with the Earth’s energy.
Earthing Solutions for Reconnecting with Nature
Earthing is a simple, natural way to improve your health and well-being by reconnecting with the Earth’s electric field. Whether you’re connecting directly to the earth like our ancestors by grounding outside hiking barefoot, gardening, or using products for indoor earthing hacks like mats or sheets, grounding yourself has never been easier. Try out some of these earthing hacks, and experience the benefits of staying grounded wherever life takes you.
