The first product I encourage people to consider is the very inexpensive grounding mat. In my experience, grounding every day seems to relieve a wide array of discomfort, including headaches, fatigue, anxiety and mood swings, for less than $50. This simple, easy-to-use mat is good for the entire family.

What Grounding Is

Grounding, also called earthing, means connecting your body to the surface of the Earth: walking barefoot on grass, sand or soil, or, indoors, resting your skin on a conductive surface that is connected to the ground. Researchers who study earthing propose that the Earth's surface carries a gentle supply of free electrons, and that modern life (rubber-soled shoes, raised floors, buildings) keeps most of us insulated from it.

In today's busy, electronic world, many of us go days or weeks without our skin ever touching the earth. Grounding is a way of reconnecting.

How a Grounding Mat Works

A grounding mat doesn't use electricity from your home. Its cord plugs only into the round ground port of a standard three-prong outlet, which is wired to the earth. A safety resistor in the cord limits current, and the mat's conductive surface carries that connection to your skin. You rest your bare feet on it under a desk, lay your forearms on it while you work, or keep it beside you on the couch or in bed.

Woman sleeping in bed with a grounding mat across the fitted sheet, its cord running to a wall outlet.

What the Research Says

The honest answer is that the research is promising, but small and early. WebMD notes that there's not a lot of solid research on grounding. Small studies have looked at sleep, nighttime cortisol, inflammation markers, pain and stress, with encouraging but preliminary results. Some studies have been funded by companies that make grounding products, including a 2022 study of an earthing mat in rats that was partly funded by the mat's maker.

Because grounding's benefits haven't been proven, it should never take the place of medical care. That's why I speak from what I have seen in myself, my family and the people I work with, and I let the research speak for itself.

How I Use Mine

I never travel without it. One of the first things I do when I get to the hotel after flying is set up my grounding mat and get grounded. After a flight and a busy airport, it's how I reset.

At home, it's simply part of the day. And I love this: many pets will go and use the mat when their human leaves it available to them.

If you'd like to try one, here's how to start:

Woman sitting on a grounding mat on a living room rug, stretching toward her bare feet.

  1. Check your outlet. The mat only works if the outlet is properly grounded, which isn't always the case in older buildings. An inexpensive outlet tester will tell you.
  2. Plug the cord into the ground port and snap it onto the mat.
  3. Put bare skin on the mat. Feet under your desk, forearms while you work, or hands while you read. It needs to touch skin, not socks or sleeves.
  4. Start with a comfortable amount of time. Hooga notes that most of its customers use the mat for 30 minutes to several hours a day.

Is a Grounding Mat Safe?

Grounding is considered relatively safe for most people. WebMD's guidance includes a few sensible precautions:

  • Unplug plug-in grounding products during a thunderstorm.
  • Faulty wiring can cause shocks, so check your outlet first.
  • If you are pregnant, or have nerve damage, immune system problems or foot problems, talk with your doctor before you start.
  • Stop if you feel unwell.

And as with any wellness practice, persistent symptoms deserve a medical evaluation.

Choosing a Mat

I consider Hooga a high-quality, entry-level brand, and their grounding mat is the one I recommend to start with. You can use my code [CODE] for 12% off.

If you're curious about other gentle tools I use every day, I've written about the PEMF chair mat I sit on for my back and about red light therapy for pain.

Disclosure: I'm an affiliate of some of the brands I recommend, so if you buy a device through me, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend equipment I use myself.

Questions people ask about grounding mats

Do grounding mats work?

The research is promising but small and early, and grounding's benefits haven't been proven, so it should never replace medical care. In my experience, grounding every day seems to relieve a wide array of discomfort, including headaches, fatigue, anxiety and mood swings.

How do grounding mats work?

A grounding mat plugs only into the round ground port of a standard three-prong outlet, which is wired to the earth. A safety resistor in the cord limits current, and the mat's conductive surface carries that connection to your skin. It doesn't use electricity from your home.

How do you use a grounding mat?

Check that your outlet is properly grounded, plug the cord into the ground port, and rest bare skin on the mat: feet under your desk, forearms while you work, or hands while you read.

How long should you use a grounding mat?

Hooga notes that most of its customers use the mat for 30 minutes to several hours a day. Start with a comfortable amount of time.

Are grounding mats safe?

Grounding is considered relatively safe for most people. Unplug during a thunderstorm, check your outlet's wiring first, and talk with your doctor before you start if you are pregnant or have nerve damage, immune system problems or foot problems.

Can pets use a grounding mat?

Many pets will go and use the mat on their own when their human leaves it available to them.

Take the next step. Small daily habits are often what quietly restore our energy. The free Effortless quiz takes about a minute. It names the pattern that's been quietly costing you energy and sends you a short guided meditation made for it. Take the free quiz →