Grounding techniques to help fight “Sunday Scaries”
Written by Audrey Hayward
You’ve probably heard the phrase “touch some grass” maybe once or twice after spending a little too much time on your phone or if you needed a reality check. The phrase refers to getting back in touch with reality and gaining a real world perspective, which is sometimes needed after an eventful weekend going into the new week.
But what can touching some grass actually do?
“Grounding” or “Earthing” is the direct skin contact and connection with the surface of the earth, such as your bare hands or feet. When the human body is in contact with the Earth’s natural electric charge, it stabilizes the physiology of our body’s at the deepest levels, and has various physical and mental health benefits and effects (Science Direct). Grounding therapy and techniques are also known for helping with emotional pain to reduce anxiety, anger, sadness, and PTSD; providing a way to gain control over your feelings, anchor yourself, and calm down (Winona).
As humans we’ve grown a lot since walking barefoot outdoors and sleeping on the ground, we exclusively wear shoes (black sling backs for me this fall) and spend most of our time in buildings with artificial light and barriers to nature. This loss of connection with the earth causes electrical imbalances in our bodies, something called Electron Deficiency syndrome. When your body is deficient in electrons, it has a hard time fighting off inflammation, causing you to be more susceptible to diseases and viruses. Reconnecting with the earth through grounding can be a significant preventative to various cardiovascular, respiratory, autoimmune conditions, and neurodegenerative diseases and disorders (Atlas Corps).
Preventative benefits are great, but let’s talk about how the immediate and necessary benefits of grounding can help for those Sunday Scaries we all dread (it may be spooky season, but Sunday Scaries are all year round!). Using grounding can improve sleep, reduce pain and stress, shift the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic toward parasympathetic (no more fight or flight responses when you look at your text messages in the morning), speed wound healing (for all those inexplicable bruises you get the morning after), and a variety of other things (NCBI). All these benefits not only combat some Sunday morning consequences of the night before, but also set you up successfully and ease you into the new start to the week.
Types of grounding
Walking barefoot on grass, sand, or even mud. Let your skin touch the natural ground!
Lay on the ground. Instead of eating your BEC in your bed, bring it to a park nearby and take a few minutes to lay in the grass.
Swim! If you’re near a body of water, swimming and submerging yourself in a lake or ocean can also help as a grounding method.
Use a humidifier.
Try to wear natural fibers like cotton instead of synthetic materials.
Realistically, our lives are busy! You may not have time or the resources to lay outside, so there are some alternatives to help. You can find grounding mats, sheets, blankets , socks and bands sold online as well for when going outside isn’t an option (Healthline).
Incorporating some of these in your everyday routine will make them feel like a regular habit, and now just a weird intervention you do when things feel rough. You may notice you like and gravitate towards certain techniques and ways more than others, keep a mental note of what works for you. Knowing what techniques work for you can help you be more mindful of your body, self, and surroundings and aid you when life feels a little uneasy.
Hopefully this inspired you to spend a little more time outdoors and appreciate the fall season before it passes! Sometimes it’s easy to get overwhelmed and disconnected with the world, but I can confidently say having a picnic in the park with all fall flavored treats (thank you Trader Joe’s) can do wonders for you mentally and physically.
Be Well,
Audrey
Sources:
Lockett, Eleesha. “What Is Grounding and Can It Help Improve Your Health?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 27 Mar. 2023, www.healthline.com/health/grounding#types.
Menigoz, Wendy, et al. “Integrative and lifestyle medicine strategies should include earthing (grounding): Review of Research Evidence and Clinical Observations.” EXPLORE, vol. 16, no. 3, 2020, pp. 152–160, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2019.10.005.
Najavits, Lisa M. “GROUNDING.” Winona State University, 2002. https://www2.winona.edu/resilience/media/grounding-worksheet.pdf
Oschman, James, et al. “The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.” Journal of Inflammation Research, 2015, p. 83, https://doi.org/10.2147/jir.s69656.
“‘The Body Electric.’” Atlas Corps, 1 Jan. 2018, atlascorps.org/the-body-electric/#:~:text=The%20earth%20energy%20has%20a,those%20electrons%20to%20combat%20inflammation.
