Why is Gardening So Therapeutic?
Disclaimer: The content in this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I encourage you to consult with qualified healthcare professionals for specific health concerns.
Any gardener will tell you, that digging in the dirt just makes them feel better. In this chaotic world that is a welcome feeling. What is it about gardening that is so healing?
In this article we are going to cover four different ways that gardening can benefit you. Hopefully this will encourage you to get your hands dirty and feel good about it.
Stress Refief:
There are an infinite number of things that cause us stress daily. Going out into your garden is a welcome escape from all of them. It’s a time to relax and enjoy the earth and its produce, as well as the fresh air and the wildlife.
There is something so special about receiving that surprise visitor, whether it's a Hummingbird Moth, a Goldfinch, or a Monarch Butterfly stopping by on its long journey to or from Mexico.
Sometimes I just feel like I really need to weed. As a child this was not something I ever thought I would actually want to do, but it turns out there is something so peaceful about it. Freeing your plants from the invaders, beautifying the garden bed, accomplishing an important task... it all feels good.
And what about those smells? It really is a wonderful thing to stop and smell the roses. The lavender is a welcome fragrance too. As is the thyme, rosemary, sage, basil… so much aroma therapy in the garden.
What does the science say?
A study conducted by the National Library of Medicine found that gardening, compared to reading, led to stronger decreases in cortisol levels and fully restored positive mood after a stressful task. This suggests that gardening has tangible stress-relieving effects, providing experimental evidence for the positive impact of gardening on acute stress.
Physical Health:
Exercise: Who needs a gym when you garden? There's nothing like shoveling loads of compost into the wheelbarrow, pushing it up a hill and spreading it right where you want it.
How about unloading those bags of mulch from the car? No need to go out and buy dumbbells.
Nutrition: Everyone knows your veggies are good for you. Eating them does not come natural to most people. When you grow them yourself you tend to eat more of them.
Availability is also an issue for many. When you grow your own healthy food, you can fill that void without ever leaving home. Do you live in a food desert? Have your home be a homegrown oasis.
When you grow your own food, you know exactly where it comes from, and what has or has not been sprayed on it. It is not genetically modified, because thankfully no company sells GMO seeds to home gardeners. If you grow it organically, it will be far more nutritious than the produce you buy that is grown using traditional commercial practices.
Related Article: Gardening: Why it Pays to Grow Organic
Vitamin D: When you’re outside in the garden, you are sure to get your vitamin D. When it is produced in the skin through exposure to sunlight, it plays a role in bone health, immune system function, and overall well-being.
Mental Health:
The exposure to the sun you get from gardening also stimulates the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with mood regulation. Higher levels of serotonin are often linked to improved mood and a reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Tending your garden gives you a sense of purpose. Your garden needs you. Your family may even come to rely on your produce. This helps to promote positive feelings of self-worth.
The sense of accomplishment you get from growing plants from seed, or turning a turf lawn into a beautiful wildlife sanctuary is a fulfilling feeling.
Working together with the natural world has proven to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Appreciating the beauty of it all and watching it come together in your own space is truly gratifying, a welcome respite from the worries of daily life.
Just being in nature has proven to have health benefits. A study published in the journal "Scientific Reports" found that spending at least 120 minutes per week in nature, such as parks, woodlands, or other natural environments, is associated with a significantly higher likelihood of reporting good health and higher psychological well-being. Specifically, participants who spent two hours or more in nature each week reported a consistently higher level of mental well-being compared to those who spent less time in natural settings.
When you garden, you're not just spending time in nature, you’re playing a role in it. The lives of countless creatures, from Bumblebees to Hummingbirds, are affected by your gardening. As you start to plant with them in mind, your connection to nature becomes much deeper.
Relationships that result from gardening are also beneficial to mental health. People with mental health problems can tend to isolate themselves, making matters worse.
Whether you are part of a community garden, or you garden in your front yard, it gives you a chance to converse with other people. Interacting with other people and sharing experiences helps to create social connections which can reduce feelings of loneliness.
Brain Health:
Gardening involves lots of problem solving. This is good to keep the brain working. You are deciding what to plant, where to plant it, how to deal with pest problems… the list goes on. All of this can have a positive effect on brain function. It is the use it or lose it concept.
A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found that engaging in gardening and other physical activities can potentially lower the risk of developing dementia in older adults by 50%.
As you can see, the therapeutic benefits of gardening are numerous. There are more studies being done all the time, but we know this simple truth- Gardening is good for you. It's good for both your physical and mental well-being. I hope this article encourages you to grow something, keep it weeded, and get some sunshine. Happy gardening!
