Why We Need To Get Our Hands Dirty in the Garden and Reap the Wellness Benefits
You don't even need a backyard
Yesterday marked the first day of Spring – happy Vernal Equinox!
Today’s weekly Wednesday Wellness tip comes in the form of a garden.
Unless you have a garden, or want to garden, gardening as a form of calm isn’t on your radar. Fair enough. I happen to have been bitten by the gardening bug so I look forward to this time of year when I start my seeds indoors and I know I’ll be able to spend more time outdoors soon. Daylight it longer and I’m relishing every minute.
The first thing I cover in my book, 50 Ways to More Calm, Less Stress, is gardening because it’s made such an impact on my overall health and well-being. What I didn’t know until I began researching and writing the book is how much being outdoors and touching soil can positively affect us.
In one study published in 2021, researchers found that when mice were exposed to Mycobacterium vaccae, often found in soil, the mice showed promising results and a “shift toward a more proactive behavioral coping response during acute exposure to a psychosocial stressor.”
More research needs to be done on soil and stressors but there is ample evidence that being outdoors has on our mental health. Regular access to green spaces has been proven to lower our risk of depression, improve our focus and mood as well as creativity. It involves all of our senses and natural environments can stimulate the production of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine – all of the chemicals responsible for happiness.
I started my seeds this weekend — tomatoes and peppers. It’s a lot of work, don’t get me wrong, but it’s happy work. I’m excited to watch my babies grow into seedlings and get strong enough to plant outside around mid-May. I’m growing extra seedlings so I can share with friends and my community because I have the space inside my home to start more than I need. I derive such pleasure from growing seedlings and spending time outside so if I can help others feel the same excitement, I’m more than happy to do so. If you need seeds to start your own journey, let me know! I’m happy to mail seeds to you! :-)
Try It
If you want to try gardening this season, start with something small. It can be as easy as picking up a plant from your local plant nursery and setting it in a sunny spot in your home. If you have an outdoor area, plant it in the ground.
If you don’t have a garden, you can still reap the benefits of playing with soil by volunteering at a local community garden or park district.
Finally, if you have no interest or time in gardening, simply get outdoors as much as you can. Soak up that Vitamin D and let yourself enjoy the changing of the seasons. Move your body, notice the buds starting to grow on the shrubs and trees, the spring flowers starting to make an appearance, inhale deeply and appreciate the fact that you’re outside and able to enjoy the day.