Office work, remote jobs and long evenings on the sofa keep many of us inside for nearly every waking hour. At GroundingWell, we design products that help indoor lifestyles stay connected to the earth's natural charge. This guide explains why indoor living creates distance from the ground, how to bring grounding into your workday, and which simple habits support it.
Key Takeaways
- Most Americans spend the large majority of their time indoors.
- Grounding mats and sheets bring earth contact into homes and offices.
- Short outdoor breaks add daylight, movement and fresh air.
- Regular movement and screen breaks support indoor grounding.
- Consistency matters more than long, occasional sessions.
How Much Time We Really Spend Indoors
The shift indoors is not new, but it is significant. The landmark National Human Activity Pattern Survey, published in the Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, found that Americans spend about 87 percent of their time inside buildings and another 6 percent in vehicles.
Work patterns have added to this. The latest American Time Use Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 35 percent of employed people did some or all of their work at home on days they worked. Watching TV also took up about 2.6 hours a day, more than any other leisure activity.
Remote work looks set to stay. Forbes Advisor reports that around 23 percent of US workers currently work remotely, and many more prefer hybrid schedules.
Why Indoor Living Creates Distance From the Ground
Grounding, also known as earthing, is based on direct skin contact with the earth's surface. Indoor living removes that contact in several ways:
- Rubber and synthetic shoe soles block contact with the ground.
- Carpets, timber floors and upper floor offices add more layers.
- Long workdays leave little time outdoors in daylight.
- Evenings often move straight from screens at work to screens at home.
Long hours of sitting come with this lifestyle too. Corporate Wellness Magazine notes that Americans sit for about 11 hours a day on average, and one in four adults sits for more than eight hours daily.
Bringing Grounding Into Your Home and Office
The good news is that you do not need a backyard to stay connected. Indoor grounding products link to the ground port of a properly grounded outlet, which connects to the earth through your building's wiring.
For people who spend most of the day inside, two products cover the main parts of the day:
- A Grounding Mat for Daytime. Rest your bare feet on it under your desk, or place your forearms on it while typing.
- A Grounding Sheet for Nighttime. Stay connected for seven or eight hours while you sleep.
GroundingWell Bundle pairs a mat and a sheet, so you can stay grounded through both work hours and rest. Set up your grounding mat correctly through placement and testing.
A Simple Indoor Grounding Plan for Your Workday
Here is one practical way to fit grounding into a typical indoor day:
- Morning: Step outside for 10 minutes of daylight before you start work.
- Work Hours: Keep bare feet on your mat for blocks of 30 to 60 minutes at a time.
- Midday: Take a short walk outside, barefoot on grass if a safe area is available.
- Afternoon: Return to your mat and continue regular screen and movement breaks.
- Evening: Ground for 20 to 30 minutes during a quiet wind down, then sleep on a grounding sheet.
Pair Grounding With Movement Breaks
Grounding at a desk works best alongside regular movement. Long, unbroken periods of sitting are a concern in their own right. A national study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that adults who sat for long, uninterrupted stretches had a higher risk of early death than those who broke up their sitting more often.
Physical therapists at O'Brien Physical Therapy recommend short breaks every 30 to 60 minutes to ease strain on the neck, shoulders and lower back. Simple ideas include:
- Standing up during phone calls.
- Walking to refill your water bottle.
- Stretching your shoulders and hips for two minutes.
- Holding walking meetings when possible.
Movement can help your thinking too. A study covered by the Stanford Report found that walking increased creative output by an average of 60 percent compared with sitting.
Look After Your Eyes
Indoor workers usually spend hours in front of screens. The American Optometric Association explains that digital eye strain can cause headaches, dry eyes, blurred vision and neck pain. It recommends the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
That rule has an interesting history. Optometry Times reports that it was created in the early 1990s by optometrist Jeffrey Anshel as an easy way for office workers to remember to rest their eyes. Advanced Eye Care in Maryland adds that keeping screens about an arm's length away and slightly below eye level can also reduce strain.
A screen break is a natural moment to reset your feet on your mat or step outside for a minute.
Make the Most of Time Outdoors
Indoor grounding is convenient, but short outdoor sessions add benefits that indoor products cannot, such as daylight and fresh air. A piece in Fox News points out that stepping outside during the workday supports energy, mood and creativity.
Sunlight is also how the body makes vitamin D. Johns Hopkins Medicine explains, however, that location, skin tone, age and sunscreen all affect how much vitamin D you produce, so speak with your doctor about your own needs.
Easy ways to add outdoor time include:
- Eating lunch outside a few days a week.
- Parking farther away and walking the rest of the way.
- Spending a few minutes barefoot on the lawn after work.
- Planning weekend time at a park, lake or beach.
Safety Tips for Indoor Grounding
- Test that your outlet is properly grounded before use.
- Unplug grounding products during thunderstorms.
- Check cords and connectors regularly for wear.
- Keep cords tidy to avoid trip hazards around desks.
- Talk to your doctor if you have a medical condition or implanted device.
Conclusion
Spending most of the day indoors does not have to mean losing touch with the earth. A grounding mat at your desk, a sheet at night, regular movement and short outdoor breaks can all fit easily into a busy schedule. If you would like advice on setting up your space, contact us today, and our team will be happy to help.
FAQs:
Can you ground yourself indoors?
Yes. Grounding mats and sheets connect to a grounded outlet, linking your body to the earth through your building's wiring.
How long should you use a grounding mat at your desk?
Many people use one for several hours during the workday, starting with shorter sessions and building gradually.
Does grounding work through shoes?
No. Most shoes have rubber or synthetic soles that block contact, so bare skin works best for grounding.
Is it safe to use a grounding mat at work?
It is generally considered safe with a properly grounded outlet. Keep cords tidy and unplug during thunderstorms.
Can you ground on a balcony or upper floor?
Concrete and tile above ground level do not provide direct earth contact, so use an indoor grounding product instead.
What is the easiest way to ground while working from home?
Place a grounding mat under your desk and rest your bare feet on it while you work.
