Gardening As Stress-Relief: How To Benefit From Working In The Dirt
by Guest Blogger-Maria Cannon
(Photo via Pixabay by Vijayanarasimha)
For many people, gardening is a way to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine and keep the landscaping looking good around the house. But for some, working in the garden can have multiple health benefits, including a decrease in stress, depression, and anxiety, a boost in mood and self-esteem, and an increase in overall fitness.
One of the great things about gardening is that anyone of any age can do it, and it’s something that parents and grandparents can share with the kids. It can also be done alone when an individual is looking for a way to relax and de-stress after a long week.
Here are some of the best ways you can benefit from working in a garden full of plants and veggies.
Get in a daily workout
Gardening may not seem like the best way to get in a workout, but it’s really great exercise. Depending on what you’re growing, you can work pretty much all the major muscle groups by bending, kneeling, weeding, planting, shoveling, and hauling dirt, rocks, and mulch. The bonus here is that exercise is a wonderful way to combat stress and depression; in fact, it’s been shown in studies to help people in recovery deal with addiction and to learn new coping methods for the sake of their mental health.
Spending time outdoors in the sun helps those things, as well. Vitamin D has many awesome benefits, including strengthening bones and reducing inflammation, so working in the sun could be beneficial to people living with arthritis or osteoporosis.
Get happy
While working in the sun can boost your mood, the act of gardening itself is hugely beneficial in that it allows you to spend time in the fresh air, amongst colorful flowers and plants, doing labor that reaps rewards at the end.
Not only that, but the healthy bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae can be found in common soils and has been shown to boost the immune system, making it a great way to fight off infection or illness.
It helps keep the brain healthy
Many studies have been done involving gardening and brain health, with some showing that working in a garden can reduce an individual’s risk for getting Alzheimer’s disease by nearly 50%. While researchers don’t exactly know why this is, it could be because gardening involves many different things at once: problem solving, dexterity, critical thinking, strength, and endurance. Keeping the brain active and fit is just as important as doing so with the body, and working in a garden can help with that. With a healthy brain, there’s less worry and stress, which can ensure the body stays in good shape, as well, reducing the risk of heart disease.
It provides therapy
There’s something about gardening that fulfills a very basic need in many people. Working in the sun, getting our hands dirty, working up a sweat; these are all things that can make us feel better about ourselves and our lives. In fact, horticulture therapy is a real tactic used to help many people learn to relax or boost their self esteem.
It provides a healthy diet
When you grow vegetables, chances are, you’ll eat them. Taking that food from the dirt straight to your table is a great way to learn to eat better and make healthier choices, which could just prolong your life.
Gardening is a wonderful way to get in touch with nature and learn how to live your best life. With a little planning and some hard work, you can start reaping the benefits of a garden in a matter of weeks.
About Maria Cannon:
Ms. Cannon believes we’re never too young to dedicate ourselves to a hobby. She created HobbyJr to encourage young people to find a hobby they love. Visit her site at http://hobbyjr.org for more information on hobbies and gardening.
