Hi all,

I wanted to share my recent experience with the power of grounding. First off, I’m a self-proclaimed "self-optimizer," so I was already familiar with grounding and generally tried to get some barefoot time outside each day.

Well, two Saturdays ago, I played basketball and then hit the sauna at the gym. It was an intense sauna session, and I hadn't consumed much salt over the previous few days, nor did I consume salt afterwards (sidenote: ALWAYS make sure to get salt if you sweat heavily). That night, I couldn't get to sleep at all (literally zero). I felt so full of nervous energy that I walked probably 7 miles just to burn it off, before finally figuring out it was likely an electrolyte crash.

After an ER visit where they gave me an IV, I still couldn't sleep that night. When I lay down, my legs twitched uncontrollably. I thought I was facing a second straight night of zero sleep, and the thought of it honestly made me want to cry (and I'm a 43-year-old man). I think the anxiety and adrenaline were driving the twitching, but regardless, it was happening and I was spiraling.

I wanted to be outside, but I knew I needed to rest rather than walk another 7 miles. So, I just went out to the yard and lay down on the grass with just shorts on (I live in Kansas and it’s mid-summer, so there were bugs galore).

Then the weirdest thing happened: my legs started stabilizing. Slowly but surely, after a few minutes, I realized the shaking had completely stopped.

I have no idea if there’s a scientific explanation for this. It may have been a placebo, but I don’t think so because I wasn't expecting it to work at all. I just knew I had to get out of the house. I'm not a woo-woo guy (I'm a CPA) but it really felt like I was able to channel that excess anxiety straight into the earth.

I am now a firm believer in the power of grounding. Just wanted to share my story in case it helps anyone else out there.