Many long-time gardeners will tell you that the garden is their happy place. New research suggests that working with plants can lead to many mental health benefits – even if they have never gardened before.
In a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, University of Florida scientists found that gardening activities reduced stress, anxiety, and depression in healthy women who attended gardening classes twice a week. None of the study participants had previously gardened.
“Previous studies have shown that gardening can help improve the mental health of people who already have medical conditions or challenges. Our study shows that healthy people can boost mental well-being through gardening,” said Charles Guy, principal investigator of the study. and professor emeritus in the UF / IFAS environmental horticulture department.
The study was co-authored by an interdisciplinary team of researchers with the environmental horticulture department, UF College of Medicine, UF Center for the Arts in Medicine and UF Wilmot Botanical Gardens, who also hosted all study treatment sessions.
Thirty-two women between the ages of 26 and 49 completed the study. They were all in good health, which meant that this experiment meant screening for factors such as chronic health conditions, tobacco use and drug abuse, and prescribing medication for anxiety or depression. Half of the participants were assigned to gardening sessions, and the other half were assigned to art sessions. The two groups met twice a week for a total of eight hours. The art group acted as a point of comparison for the gardening group.
“Both gardening and art activities involve learning, planning, creativity and physical movement, and are both used therapeutically in medical settings. This makes them more comparable, scientifically speaking, than, for example, gardening and bowling or gardening and reading , “Guy explained.
In the gardening sessions, participants learned how to compare and plant seeds, transplant different types of plants, and remove and taste edible plants. Participants in the art sessions learned techniques such as paper making, printmaking, drawing and collage.
Participants completed a series of assessments measuring anxiety, depression, stress and mood. The researchers found that the gardening and art – making groups had similar improvements in mental health over time, and gardeners reported slightly less concern than art makers.
Due to the relatively small number of participants and the length of the study, the researchers were still able to demonstrate evidence of what medical clinicians would call the dose effects of gardening – that is, how much gardening someone has to do. to see improvements in mental. health.
“Larger-scale studies could reveal more about how gardening correlates with changes in mental health,” Guy explained. “We believe this research shows promise for mental well-being, plant health care and public health. It would be great to see other researchers use our work as the basis for these types of studies.”
The idea of using gardening to promote better health and well-being – known as therapeutic horticulture – dates back to the 19th century.
But why do we feel good when we are around plants? The answer could be found in the important role of plants in human evolution and the rise of civilization, the study authors explain. As a species, we can be naturally attracted to plants as we depend on them for food, shelter and other means of subsistence.
Whatever the deepest possible reasons, many study participants left the experiment with a newly discovered passion, the researchers noted.
“At the end of the experiment, many of the participants were saying not only how much they enjoyed the sessions but also how they decided to keep gardening,” Guy said.
Materials provided by the University of Florida …. Original written by Samantha Murray. Note: Content can be sorted by style and length.
Other gentle pottery in the garden (which in itself is beneficial) may lead to other tasks that lead to more physical activity, which can only be a good thing … But physical exercise is not the only way where gardening can help you sleep. night. Your natural circadian rhythm greatly affects sleep.
How can gardening improve mental health?
Gardening can make you feel more peaceful and happy. Focusing on immediate tasks and the details of gardening can help you reduce negative thoughts and feelings and may feel better in the present. But spending time around plants relieves stress for many people. Self-esteem increases.
Can gardening help with depression? In fact, the positive relationship with gardening was observed for a wide range of health outcomes such as reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms, stress, mood disturbances, and BMI, as well as increases in quality of life, sense of community, levels physical activity. This may interest you : Following the Uvalde shooting, Texas leaders will spend more than $ 100 million on school security, mental health. , and cognitive function.
Does gardening reduce anxiety?
Studies have found that gardening and horticultural therapy can: reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. improve attention. disruption of adverse ruminations, anxiety symptom.
How does gardening help a person clear his or her mind?
When planning the garden and then caring for the garden the gardener has a simple and inexpensive way to relax and unwind. Gardening can help to clear one’s mind. On the same subject : Men’s health is a priority. Another health benefit of gardening is that they exercise when people go to their gardens.
Why is gardening good for your brain?
Gardening calms your mind It may also stimulate the production of serotonin which regulates mood, anxiety and happiness. Research on the positive effect of gardening on mental health is increasing (Stowell, D. See the article : Men’s Health Month: Encouraging Men to Adopt a Healthier Lifestyle.R. et al. 2018). Gardening helps reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
Why does gardening make me so happy?
Scientists have discovered that the mycobacterium found in the soil can improve brain functions and boost mood. The mycobacterium vaccae found in the soil also increases serotonin produced in the brain (also known as the “happy” chemical). By getting your hands dirty, you are also making your brain happy!
Why is gardening so much fun? Gardening can be a fun and relaxing way to get in touch with nature, but did you know that it also has plenty of health benefits? Gardening is an activity that is good for both mind and body, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. In addition, you get to eat the delicious fruits, vegetables and herbs that you grow.
Why does gardening make you happy?
Further research on gardening has found that it improves life satisfaction and mood. Digging in the dirt raises your spirits. Excite the digging of microbes in the soil. Inhalation of these microbes can stimulate the production of serotonin, making you feel calmer and happier.
Is gardening good for your mental health?
“Gardening can improve many aspects of mental health, focus, and concentration. Improves mood. Gardening can make you feel more peaceful and happy. Focusing on immediate tasks and the details of gardening can help you reduce negative thoughts and feelings and may feel better in the present.
Why is gardening good for your brain?
Gardening calms your mind It may also stimulate the production of serotonin which regulates mood, anxiety and happiness. Research on the positive effect of gardening on mental health is increasing (Stowell, D.R. et al. 2018). Gardening helps reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
What does gardening do for the brain? Levels of Brain Nerve Growth Factors. Low-to-moderate intensity gardening activity, making a vegetable garden, enhanced levels of the memory-related brain nerve growth factors BDNF and PDGF, in senior individuals who participated in this study (Table 3).
What are 3 benefits of gardening?
As well as providing veggies and nutritious fruit for your dinner table and beautiful flowers to decorate it, gardening offers various health benefits.
- Exposure to vitamin D. …
- Reduce the risk of dementia. …
- Benefits that stimulate mood. …
- Pleasant aerobic exercise. …
- It helps to combat loneliness.
Does gardening increase happiness?
“Many more people rejoice than we think, and it seems to be associated with higher levels of happiness such as walking and cycling,” Princeton’s Anu Ramaswami, one of the authors, said in a statement. “In the move to make cities more viable, gardening can be a big part of improving the quality of life.”
Can gardening make you happier? One reason is never enough because gardening brings so much happiness and inspiration into your life! It teaches you so many things about nature, sustainability, community, as well as love. It teaches you the ways of living, which is why people are easily drawn into this hobby.
Why does gardening make us happy?
Getting your hands dirty in the garden can increase your serotonin levels – contact with the soil can cause specific soil bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, to trigger the release of serotonin into our brain according to research. Serotonin is a happy chemical, a natural antidepressant and strengthens the immune system.
What are 3 benefits of gardening?
As well as providing veggies and nutritious fruit for your dinner table and beautiful flowers to decorate it, gardening offers various health benefits.
- Exposure to vitamin D. …
- Reduce the risk of dementia. …
- Benefits that stimulate mood. …
- Pleasant aerobic exercise. …
- It helps to combat loneliness.
