Gardening for Mental Health
As COVID-19 spread around the world, citizens of several countries were being told to bunker down. But instead of spending all day binging TV and baking banana bread, there was also a remarkable spike in the number of people getting out into their gardens.
Some people saw it as a family-friendly hobby to keep the kids entertained. In contrast, others planted fruits and vegetables to combat their food security concerns. There were also plenty of people who just decided to use their downtime as an opportunity to tame their backyard jungle.
But surprisingly, many people also saw the value of gardening for mental health. Plenty of studies show the psychological benefits of gardening, and it’s only once a global pandemic takes place do many people experience them for themselves.
Mood Improvement
Think about how you feel when you get out in the sunshine. You can’t help but feel warm and happy when the rays are beaming down on you. That’s one of the many reasons why gardening can improve your mood. You’re outside in the elements, spending time with plants and nature, and you’re productive at the same time.
But don’t just take our word for it. Four San Francisco Bay Area hospitals were included in a survey with patients. Seventy-nine patients said they felt calmer and more relaxed by being with plants. A quarter said they felt stronger and more refreshed, while 19 per cent felt more optimistic.
Stress and Anxiety Relief
Nothing makes you more stressed and anxious than a highly contagious illness that’s claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. But rather than spend all day curled up in a ball, many people decided to head out into their gardens for stress and anxiety relief. And it worked.
It helps that viewing plants and spending time with them is a stress-free exercise. And when you literally take the time to smell the roses, your cortisol levels drop.
A study published in the Journal of Health Psychology also noted that reading and gardening both decrease your cortisol levels, but your stress levels drop dramatically with gardening.
Once you finish gardening, you are then more likely to enjoy a positive mood, free from the anxiety and stress of your daily worries.
Self-Esteem Boost
Social media has become a convenient way to keep in touch with family and friends. But it has also had a dark side effect – allowing us to compare ourselves to others and decrease our self-esteem as a result.
By taking a break from technology and social media and heading out into the garden, you can experience a self-esteem boost. Children, in particular, can benefit from this activity. They can learn how to be nurturers while taking a break from the online world's social pressure.
Attention Span Improvements
Children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may be able to reduce their symptoms by taking part in outdoor activities such as gardening and nature walks. According to an American Journal of Public Health study, gardening and surrounding yourself with plants can strengthen your attention span, which then improves focus and learning.
Gardening can also prove useful for academic settings. Another study in the American Society for Horticultural Science showed that children who learned science through gardening rather than in a traditional classroom achieved higher scores.
And Then There Are the Physical Benefits
Gardening has many proven benefits in the mental health realm, but it can also be beneficial for your physical health. First and foremost, it’s a form of physical activity.
While many people like to go for walks, hit the gym, or go for bike rides, they can also achieve their 150 minutes of weekly moderate-intensity exercise through gardening. If you don’t like exercising, then you can at least inadvertently reach your exercise goal, at least partly, in a rewarding and productive way.
Gardening can also promote and encourage healthy eating. If you’re growing a delicious variety of fruits and vegetables, you are more likely to eat them. After all, you are literally getting to enjoy the fruits of your labour.
Gardening may also be able to decrease your risk of illness if you bring your plants inside. House plants can reduce the amount of dust in the air by as much as 20 per cent while also aiding the healing process if you’re unwell. In a 2009 study, patients in hospital rooms with flowers had lower anxiety, lower fatigue, and lower blood pressure than those in rooms without plant life.
Get Out Into the Gardens
If you’re feeling a bit low, why not head out and get some gardening therapy? If, however, you find yourself feeling more stressed because you realised you’re lacking a green thumb, then don’t worry. There are experts out there like Crewcut ready to take care of your gardening requirements. Most importantly, don’t hesitate to reach out for help — whether it’s about your gardens or your mental health.
(See also: Twinkl’s Kids Gardening campaign)