The Mental Health Benefits of Going Barefoot

Most of us are used to wearing shoes the majority of the time, but walking barefoot is not only good for your posture and physical health, it’s also beneficial for your mental wellbeing.

Our ancestors were much more connected to the earth and spent the majority of their time outside – hunting, working on the land and even sleeping outside. 

Today many us live and work in the city and spend a lot of time inside and on screens. This means we are missing out on the surprising health benefits of walking barefoot.

Experts recommend standing or lying on grass, soil or sand for 30 minutes a day in a practice known as “Earthing” or “Grounding”.

Earthing is a form of mindfulness that involves walking barefoot, while paying close attention to the feeling of your soles connecting with the ground.

Now summer is finally upon us and it’s easier to shed the layers and kick off our shoes, we thought we’d reveal some of the health benefits of going barefoot:

1. Boosts feel-good hormones – When you walk barefoot on grass, the level of endorphins (feel-good hormones) in your body increases. 
2. Decreases stress levels – Research shows walking on grass can help decrease your stress level by around 62%.
3. Connects you to health benefits of soil – The common microscopic bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, found in soil can improve mental health, according to scientists. This is why getting out in the garden/digging in soil is also great for your wellbeing. 
4. It’s a great form of mindfulness – Walking in nature can be a great mindfulness practice and can combat anxiety, but doing it barefoot has even more benefits. Your feet contain thousands of nerve endings and walking barefoot can help you connect with the sensations around you and ground you in the present moment. 
5. It can aid better sleep – Contact with the earth helps to stabilise and reset the natural circadian rhythms in the body, which in turn can help aid sleep. A circadian rhythm is the natural cycle of physical, mental and behaviour changes that the body goes through in a 24-hour cycle. They can affect sleep, body temperature, hormones, appetite and other bodily functions.

Want to learn more about mental health, psychology and relationships, while boosting your self-awareness and self-esteem?

Join The Link Centre’s Official Introduction to Transactional Analysis course Dates: 22nd/23rd July 2023 in Plumpton OR 9th/10th September 2023 online.

These are some of the main takeaways from the 2-day course:

• Greater understanding of self & others 
• Better personal & professional relationships
• Skills to help you make decisions that serve you better
• Heightened self-awareness & self-esteem

During the fascinating 2-day course you will learn about topics including Life Script, Psychological Games and Ego States.

To hear more about the other courses we offer come to our relaxed and informal Online Open evening with The Link Centre team on Wednesday 19th July, 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm.

Words: Laura Mitchell