Get The Heck Outside!

Many of the patients I see at my job have a degree of depression. The pandemic appears to have exacerbated the trend.

If a patient is capable of it, I always suggest that they make an effort to get some natural light early in the day and also to get out and walk some, even it’s just a short slow stroll. Pretty much every patient who does these two things will report at least some improvement. (Many patients also are prescribed an antidepressant by their medical provider.)

Now let me try something here that might strike some readers as being just a little woo woo. I was chatting with a cardiologist recently. He is a believer in “grounding.” This entails taking your shoes off and walking outside on the grass in your bare feet.(Obviously, you’d want to be mindful of what you might put your feet on. Kinda like the warning on a hot coffee to go.)

I looked up grounding and it’s been around for a while. What your feet pick up by touching the earth’s electrical charge is said to have a salubrious effect on one’s sense of well being, improved sleep, and reduced inflammation. (I’m not dispensing medical advice and what I’m suggesting is not intended as such.)

I tried it and can anecdotally report deeper sleep and a noticeable lessening of age related aches and pains. (Placebo effect? Maybe.) What’ve I’d read indicates that more research needs to be done with larger sample sizes. My sense is this practice is a little like chicken soup-it can’t hurt (as long as you are careful about where you step) and it might help.

Happy Holiday Weekend.