The effects of corona virus are far-reaching, and these strained times are having an impact on us all. But could our lawns help?
Science suggests that they can. ‘Earthing’ is a practice of walking barefoot on grass might sound a bit ‘out there’, but actually research has shown that this seemingly simple act can produce nearly instant changes on our physiology, including helping to improve sleep, decreasing stress, and reducing pain and muscle tension.
The idea behind earthing is that the Earth subtle electronic charge (think about it – every atom carries an electronic charge, so times that by the number in Earth’s mass and what you get is a bit like a giant battery).
You may not think of electricity when you think of the earth, but the earth’s surface has a negative charge and is constantly generating electrons that could neutralise free radicals, essentially becoming antioxidants. We often hear about getting antioxidants from food, but why not get them from the lawn too?
Studies around earthing do tend to be small, and conducted in labs so that placebo effects can be tested for. However, we know that being outdoors is really good for our health anyway – so try it out!
To ‘earth’ simply walk or stand barefoot on your lawn – do it for 1 minute, 5 minutes or all day if you want.
Have you tried earthing?