Can Grounding Help with Depression? What the Science Says About Earthing and Mental Health

Health / / By
can grounding help depression?

Grounding, also known as earthing, is one of those natural habits that sounds almost too simple to do anything — just standing barefoot on the ground? Really? But if you’re feeling low, stressed, or emotionally flat, you might be surprised to hear that this small daily practice could actually help.

Let’s look at whether grounding can really support your mental health and what it might do for symptoms of depression.

Quick Answer: Can Grounding Really Help with Depression?

Grounding won’t cure depression, and it’s not a replacement for therapy or medication. But it might help in other ways — by calming your nervous system, improving sleep, and reducing stress, which are all closely linked to how you feel emotionally.

Some people find that using grounding mats helps them feel better too. While part of that might be the placebo effect, that’s still real and worth something. If it lifts your mood, even a little, it’s already doing something good.

What Is Grounding, Exactly?

If you’ve never heard of grounding before, here’s a simple explanation: grounding is when your body makes direct contact with the Earth — like walking barefoot on grass, sand, or soil, or touching a tree or rock that’s rooted in the ground.

The idea is that the Earth has a natural electric charge, and when you connect with it, your body absorbs tiny particles called electrons. These electrons may help reduce inflammation, balance your nervous system, and support overall health.

The problem is, most of us rarely connect with the ground anymore. We live in shoes, walk on concrete, and spend most of our time indoors. That means we’re cut off from something our bodies may actually benefit from — regular, physical contact with the Earth.

The good news? You don’t have to go live in the woods to give it a try. Just a few minutes barefoot in your garden, sitting on the grass, or even using a grounding mat indoors can help you reconnect.

How Grounding Affects the Nervous System

One of the main ways grounding may help with depression is through its calming effect on the nervous system. When you’re stressed or anxious, your body is often stuck in “fight or flight” mode — your heart beats faster, your muscles tense up, and your brain feels like it won’t switch off. Grounding appears to help shift the body out of this stress state and into a more relaxed one.

In one small experiment, people who were grounded for just 28 minutes showed immediate changes in their brain wave activity and muscle tension — clear signs that their bodies were moving into a calmer, more balanced state. This shift is thought to support the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the part responsible for rest, digestion, and recovery.

Grounding has also been shown to influence cortisol — your main stress hormone. In a pilot study, participants who slept grounded for eight weeks had more balanced cortisol rhythms, especially at night. Their stress levels dropped, and they reported feeling less anxious and irritable.

Since chronic stress and poor sleep are both closely linked to depression, these changes in the nervous system might explain why grounding has such a positive effect on mood for some people.

Grounding and Depression: What the Studies Say

There’s still a lot to learn about grounding and its direct effects on depression, but some early research suggests it may support emotional wellbeing — especially by improving things like sleep, stress, and inflammation.

How Grounding Can Support Your Mood

In one small pilot study, participants who were grounded during sleep for eight weeks said they felt less anxious, less irritable, and more emotionally balanced. Their stress hormone (cortisol) also began to shift into a healthier daily rhythm, especially overnight — a good sign, since poor cortisol balance is linked to both stress and depression.

While this study didn’t focus only on depression, these kinds of improvements in sleep and stress can make it easier to manage low mood and emotional ups and downs.

Inflammation, Depression, and Where Grounding Fits In

Here’s something you might not know: researchers have found that inflammation in the body can actually affect how we feel mentally. In fact, chronic inflammation is thought to play a role in depression itself (source).

This is where grounding might make a difference. Studies show that grounding helps reduce inflammation throughout the body. One review found that people who were grounded had significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein — a key marker of whole-body inflammation (source).

Other research found that grounding reduces specific inflammatory cytokines — tiny proteins that can interfere with brain chemistry and lower dopamine (a brain chemical tied to motivation and mood). These included IP-10, MIP-1α, and sP-Selectin. In grounded participants, levels of these cytokines dropped by 10–20%, which could help explain why grounding might lift mood in some people (source).

So while grounding isn’t a treatment for clinical depression, it may help by calming the body’s stress response, improving sleep, and lowering inflammation — all of which are known to influence mood.

Can a Grounding Mat Help with Depression?

The short answer? A grounding mat might help ease some symptoms linked to depression — but it’s not a cure.

If you’re struggling with low mood, stress, or emotional exhaustion, using a grounding mat could support your mental wellbeing in small but meaningful ways. Some people report feeling calmer, sleeping better, or feeling more balanced emotionally after regular use — and science backs up some of those effects.

In several studies, people who slept on properly grounded mattress pads or used grounding mats showed improvements in sleep, pain, and overall wellbeing. In one study, grounded participants even experienced relief from issues like PMS, asthma, and high blood pressure, while the control group using non-grounded mats didn’t feel the same changes (see the study).

Because sleep and stress are so closely linked to depression, improving those areas may naturally help with mood.

It’s also possible that part of the benefit comes from the placebo effect — especially when using grounding products indoors. But that doesn’t make it any less real. If you feel better, sleep more deeply, or wake up in a better headspace, then it’s working for you.

Just keep in mind: for grounding to work, the mat must be properly connected — either to the Earth outside using a rod or through a grounded plug in your wall. If that connection isn’t there, you’re not truly grounded.

Can Grounding Replace Antidepressants?

This is a really important question — and the honest answer is no, grounding should not replace antidepressants or any treatment prescribed by your doctor.

Grounding may help support your mood, ease stress, improve sleep, and calm your nervous system — all things that play a role in how you feel day to day. For some people, it can be a valuable complementary practice, especially when combined with other healthy habits like regular movement, sunlight, therapy, and good nutrition.

But if you’ve been diagnosed with depression or are taking medication, grounding shouldn’t be used as a substitute. Depression is a complex condition, and for many people, medication and professional support are essential parts of feeling better.

Think of grounding as one more tool in your mental health toolbox. It’s free, natural, and gentle — but it works best when used alongside other proven strategies, not instead of them.

How to Try Grounding for Depression (and Make It Work for You)

If you’re curious to try grounding as part of your mental health routine, the good news is — it’s simple to get started. No equipment, apps, or training required.

Here are a few easy ways to make grounding part of your day:

1. Go barefoot outside

This is the most natural form of grounding. Stand or walk barefoot on grass, soil, sand, or unsealed stone for at least 10–30 minutes a day if you can. Even just a few minutes can help — especially if you do it regularly.

2. Sit or lie on the ground

You don’t always have to walk. Sitting on the ground with your hands or legs touching natural surfaces still counts.

3. Try water grounding

Bodies of water like lakes, rivers, or the sea are great for grounding. Standing in wet sand, swimming, or dipping your feet in a natural stream can all help you connect.

4. Use a grounding mat indoors

If going outside isn’t practical, a grounding mat might be a good option. Just make sure it’s connected properly (to a grounded socket or via a grounding rod), and ideally made with materials like carbon that help conduct the Earth’s electrons.

5. Make it a habit

Try grounding consistently for a few weeks and see how you feel. Many of the positive effects from studies — like reduced stress or better mood — were seen after regular daily use, not just one-off sessions.

And remember, while grounding may support your mood and mental health, it’s not a replacement for getting help when you need it. If you’re struggling, speak to someone you trust or talk to a professional. Still, grounding is such a simple, gentle practice — and if it helps even a little, it’s worth making space for it in your day.

Petra Nakashian
Latest posts by Petra Nakashian (see all)