- Grounding and forest bathing may sound woo-woo, but they’re research-backed wellness practices that involve spending more time in close proximity to natural environments. But what is grounding and how can you practice it?
- Spending 120 minutes a week in nature has verifiable benefits for your health and well-being, from busting stress to bolstering your immune system.
- Next time you head out into nature, tag your activity on the Oura App to see if it helps to lower your stress, boost your HRV, or even improve your sleep.
Grounding and forest bathing are therapeutic activities that involve getting up close and personal with the natural environment. While they may sound like unconventional remedies for stress, low mood, and poor sleep, preliminary research indicates they might be beneficial.
Learn more about these techniques, and whether they’re worth a go.
The Need for Nature
In our hyper-connected, fast-paced modern lives, many of us don’t take time to unplug — and plug in to nature.
More than half of the world’s population lives in cities; a percentage reaching as high as 83% in the U.S. alone. Many cities have limited green space, resulting in a majority of people rarely spending time in a natural environment.
And that’s unfortunate: Spending time in nature has well-established benefits, ranging from lower stress to enhanced immune function. That’s why some people are choosing to spend their time in activities known as “grounding” or “forest bathing.”
What is Grounding?
Grounding, also called earthing, involves direct physical contact with the earth’s surface. Most commonly, this involves walking barefoot, typically on grass or sand.
The Theory Behind Grounding
Grounding is based on the idea that the earth carries a subtle electrical charge. When you make direct contact with the earth, these charges can enter your body and help restore balance in your internal systems.
It’s a principle rooted in physics, whereby electrical systems are connected to the Earth to stabilize them and prevent excess charge buildup. It’s used in electrical engineering to keep systems safe and functioning properly. Proponents of grounding suggest that this can have similar benefits for humans.
Human bodies are excellent conductors of electricity due to the high water content and the presence of ions, such as sodium, potassium, and calcium, which help conduct electrical impulses. This is why we can feel electric shocks and why grounding, in an electrical sense, can apply to us.
Imagine the Earth as a giant battery full of energy. When you touch the ground, it allows negatively charged electrons from the earth to flow into our bodies, which has supposed therapeutic benefits.
What is Forest Bathing?
Forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese practice that involves mindfully spending time in nature. It was created to address a public health crisis caused by increasing urbanization, to promote Japan’s forests, and to help people disconnect from busy city lives.
In the 1990s, Japanese researchers began studying forest bathing after hearing reports of its benefits. This research continues to grow, highlighting nature’s healing powers.
Brooke Mellen, founder of Cultured Forest, leads forest bathing sessions in New York City. During sessions, Mellen encourages people to observe their surroundings intentionally, noting biodiversity, engaging their senses, and becoming aware of the natural environment.
The Theory Behind Forest Bathing
Spending time in a forest exposes us to beneficial elements like microbial diversity, phytoncides, and sunlight.
Trees emit phytoncides, which we breathe in. “Trees naturally produce these antibacterial and antifungal compounds to ward off insects and disease. When we’re in close proximity to trees, we breathe in these compounds,” says Mellen. This boosts natural killer cells that fight harmful pathogens.
Nature’s rich microbial diversity is also beneficial. Exposure to a variety of microorganisms, whether through direct contact or inhalation, helps “train” and strengthen the immune system.
Sunlight from being outdoors helps regulate circadian rhythm and boosts vitamin D production, essential for mental health, energy levels, sleep, and immune function,
READ MORE: Circadian Rhythms and Your Bedtime
8 Potential Benefits of Grounding and Forest Bathing
1. It may help to reduce rumination.
“People who go forest bathing are finally able to get out of their heads and get into their surroundings,” says Mellen. “They tend to feel relief from rumination and overthinking.”
Research shows that spending time in nature reduces anxiety-related rumination by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and reducing activity in the amygdala, the brain region responsible for emotional processing, stress, and rumination.
RELATED: How to Stop Overthinking at Night, According to a Neuroscientist
2. It may improve symptoms of depression and anxiety.
In a study, participants with high depression scores tried forest bathing, and reported a subsequent significant mood improvement.
Another study put rats in a stressful environment and then put some of them on an earthing mat (simulating grounding). Those rats showed reduced stress biomarkers and anxiety-related behavior, suggesting potential human benefits.
3. It can help to lower stress.
“One of the main benefits I notice is people seem less stressed — they are finally able to slow down,” says Mellen.
When you walk outside, your brain notices the movement of objects around you, such as trees swaying in the breeze. This experience, known as optic flow, has been shown to lower cortisol and quiet the stress circuits in your mind — particularly those involved in threat detection. You switch into a “rest-and-digest” parasympathetic state, an effective way to recover from stress.
| Member Tip: Monitor your capacity to recover from stress by using the Resilience feature. |
4. It may help to lower inflammation.
Inflammation is believed to be at the root of many ailments and diseases. Strategies to lower inflammation can improve health outcomes.
A 2015 study in the Journal of Inflammation Research found that earthing can reduce inflammation and accelerate wound healing. Another study found that forest bathing led to reduced oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and cortisol.
5. It might support exercise recovery.
Lowering inflammation and stress helps to accelerate exercise recovery. That’s perhaps why a 2015 study found that participants who followed a grounding protocol post-workout showed more markers of muscle recovery (neutrophils and platelets) and reduced markers of muscle damage (creatine kinase loss) compared to those who didn’t.
6. It may promote cardiovascular health.
According to a 2013 study, grounding can reduce blood viscosity, a major factor in cardiovascular disease. After two hours of grounding, the surface charge on the participant’s red blood cells increased, indicating increased blood flow and lower blood viscosity and clumping.
Similarly, studies have shown that forest bathing can lower your blood pressure by inducing relaxation.
| Member Tip: Learn more about your cardiovascular health using Oura’s new features: Cardio Capacity and Cardiovascular Age. See if grounding or forest bathing helps you improve your metrics. |
7. It may help to improve sleep quality.
Research suggests that grounding can significantly improve sleep quality. This is likely due to its effects on cortisol and the autonomic nervous system. It also helps to alleviate pain and muscle tension, which aids nighttime relaxation. Moreover, studies show that it can help to better align your circadian rhythm, which is a surefire way to get better sleep.
| Member Tip: Use Oura Tags to track when you practice forest bathing or grounding and see how it impacts your sleep over time, in Trends view. |
8. It may enhance immune function.
Spending time in nature exposes you to diverse microorganisms, which can strengthen your immune system by helping your immune cells recognize and combat pathogens.
In a 2010 study on forest bathing, researchers found that natural killer cell activity increased significantly after the activity. Remarkably, this boost persisted for over 30 days post-visit, suggesting that monthly forest bathing sessions could effectively enhance immune function.
READ MORE: How Sleep Affects Your Immune System
If You Have No Access to Nature: Do Grounding Sheets Work?
What if you live in an urban environment with no access to green space? You may have come across grounding sheets, mats, or beds. These are bedding products that are typically made with conductive materials, such as silver or carbon fibers, woven into the fabric. They are connected to a grounding port, usually through a cord plugged into a grounded outlet or a grounding rod placed in the Earth outside.
Unfortunately, scientific evidence supporting the supposed benefits is limited and inconclusive.
Try these Grounding Exercises
If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, grounding exercises can be a powerful tool to help you reconnect with the present moment and alleviate tension. These techniques aim to anchor you to the here and now, promoting relaxation and mental clarity. Here are a few effective physical grounding exercises you can try:
- Barefoot walk: Take a walk outside without shoes to connect directly with the Earth’s surface. Feeling the grass, sand, or soil under your feet can help ground you and reduce stress by reconnecting you with nature.
- Tune into your environment: Spend a moment tuning into the sounds around you. Are there birds chirping, dogs barking, or the hum of machinery and traffic? If you hear voices, try to discern what they are saying and if you recognize the language.
- Ice touch: Hold a piece of ice or immerse your hands in ice-cold water. The sudden, intense sensation can help you become more aware of your physical presence and shift your focus away from anxious thoughts.
- Body scan in nature: While laying in a natural environment (grass or sand are great choices!), do a quick body scan. Focus on each area, noting any sensations or tension. This practice encourages mindfulness and helps you become more aware of physical sensations, which can alleviate anxiety.
- Five senses exercise: Engage all five senses to ground yourself in the present moment. Notice five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This exercise can help shift your focus away from stressors and bring you into the present.
Get Out of Your Head, And Into Nature
It will remain a mystery whether the benefits of grounding and forest bathing come from specific compounds like phytoncides or negatively charged electrons or simply from moving your body and getting some sunlight.
Regardless, spending time in nature has no downside. 120 minutes per week spent in nature has been shown to drastically improve health and well-being. Why not give it a go?