Digging in the dirt can bolster mental health, well-being
Despite the lifting, sweating and straining involved, gardeners say the work makes them feel good.
Exercise is good for the body, but there’s something about digging in the dirt while listening to a bird soundtrack that lifts the spirit. Even the scent of the soil and mulch stirs happiness.
As it turns out, there are scientific reasons for this. And there’s an entire field called horticultural therapy that’s dedicated to using “plant-based and garden-based activities to support people who have identified treatment needs,” according to Karen Haney, a horticultural therapy instructor at UCLA Extension in Long Beach, California.
Benefits
“Research suggests 20-30 minutes (of gardening) a few times a week can reduce stress and lift mood, with benefits increasing the more regularly one gardens,” says Sarah Thompson, a professionally registered horticultural therapist in Boise, Idaho.
The simple act of being in nature can improve mood and restore focus, she said, but “the active engagement of nurturing plants, making decisions and seeing results over time adds a unique layer of meaning and satisfaction that passive time outdoors does not.”
Thompson added that gardening has been shown to ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, and fosters a sense of calm, purpose and accomplishment.
Colorado study
A recent study at the University of Colorado-Boulder backs this up.
Researchers provided one group of participants with an instructional gardening class, seeds, starter plants and a community gardening plot. They had a second group refrain from gardening for two years.
The gardening cohorts reported stronger social connections, lower stress levels and about a 7-percent increase in fiber intake, which have been shown to reduce risk factors for some physical and mental illnesses, including depression, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cancer. They also reported a 42-minute weekly increase in physical activity, which the nongardeners did not.
