This Weird Tip Could Help Cure Your Jet Lag

When your body thinks its in a different timezone, the phases of irrepressible exhaustion and alertness are a massive inconvenience. Especially when you’re only on a brief break and every hour of your trip counts. If you’ve tried all the usual jet lag avoidance techniques with limited success, it turns out the simple act of walking barefoot on the ground might just be a game-changer.

Known as “earthing” or “grounding,” the idea is to reconnect with the planet’s electrons the day you touch down at your new destination by taking a stroll on the grass, soil, or sand. As you absorb the ground’s negative charge a whole range of intriguing physiological benefits occur, many of which could be miraculously curative when it comes to jet lag.

Despite sounding like one of those woo-woo wellness rituals, there are actually several scientific studies that support the premise. Among the discovered benefits, research suggests earthing can help set the biological clock by regulating diurnal body rhythms such as cortisol secretion.

Biohacker Dave Asprey, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, experienced the effects first hand after arriving in the U.K., which is 7-8 hours ahead of his native California. After practicing morning yoga in the park he felt a surge of renewed energy: “I was like, ‘Yes! Exercise in the morning works [to overcome jet lag],’” he told Well and Good. “But the next time I went, [I exercised indoors] and it didn’t work. The difference is this: When I did yoga in the park, I was barefoot and touching the soil with my hands and my feet. It was only after the research on earthing came out a couple years later that I was able to make that connection.”

According to Asprey, in an airplane our bodies experience a build-up of static, and it’s only be reconnecting with the earth’s negatively charged electrons that equilibrium can be restored.

If you don’t have easy access to nature (or feel like going barefoot in your location would be a weird faux pas) fear not, there are such things as “grounding mats” and pillowcases which allow you to get the earthing you need from the comfort of your high rise hotel.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.