Do you enjoy spending time gardening, cooking, and planting beautiful vegetables, herbs, and flowers? Or maybe what about beautifying gardens and landscaping? There’s a widely known truth that spending quality time out in the garden is incredibly good for the mind and body. But what exactly are the various mental health advantages of spending quality time in the soil? Well, let’s find out.
Gardening has a multitude of positive effects on the mind and can actually enhance your mental health. Studies have shown that people who grow their own plants tend to be more creative, healthier, happier, and less stressed than those who consume fast food or processed foods. A study in the journal Agriculture Journal Online showed that gardeners tended to have fewer symptoms of depression and other stress-related disorders compared to others who don’t spend much time cultivating their own vegetables.
Another benefit to growing your own plants is related to how you physically feel. Growing your own vegetables and herbs in an indoor grow room allows you to escape to a peaceful, relaxing place where you can focus on the beauty of your plants and the love you put into them. Studies have shown that a person’s perception of beauty increases when they are paying attention to plants. And the more time and effort you put into cultivating your garden, the more time you’ll actually spend looking at the plants. That definitely helps the aesthetics side of things!
You can also expect a boost in your general mood and mental health from gardening. Studies have shown that people who spend time cultivating their plants tend to be less stressed and happier than those who don’t. In addition, gardening releases endorphins, which are natural mood enhancers, into the environment. The release of endorphins is said to promote a state of well-being that will make you feel good even without having to do anything else. This makes gardening and its therapeutic benefits a good fit for anyone who wants to improve their mental health or who has concerns about how they’re feeling emotionally.
Finally, gardening has been shown in one study to help lessen the symptoms of depression. The results of this study were reported in a paper published by the Journal of the National Medical Society. The study was done in relation to the care of children with developmental disabilities. It was found that there was a significant decrease in depression symptoms among these children when they had access to an indoor garden. The decrease in depression symptoms was particularly strong for children who did not have gardening as a hobby.
It’s not a surprise that we should consider gardening and its mental health benefits when trying to reduce our stress levels. When we have plants right around us, we can forget about the worries and troubles of the world. These studies seem to indicate that the relaxation and stress relief that comes from working with plants may be an effective method of reducing stress. In addition, we have all noticed how beautiful a garden can be. These factors all lead scientists to believe that this simple act can help people live better lives.
