The Benefits of Gardening for Your Mental Health and Well-Being
It is no secret that gardening outdoors is beneficial for your mental health and well-being. Many advantages come from getting down in the dirt and can be done in the comfort of your own backyard. Even a small garden with a few plants can be beneficial. Here are just a few benefits that can be enjoyed for a low cost of entry.
Gardening naturally boosts happiness while lowering stress.
It is human nature to garden as we have been doing it for thousands of years. The body has grown accustomed to rewarding the brain for doing these tasks. In addition to this, light exercise can also boost happiness when done regularly. Horticultural scientists believe that a person engaging in direct contact with plants can distract from stress leading to a better quality of life.
Time in nature can be very gratifying.
Being out in the sun, getting your hands dirty, and growing life from nothing but dirt and a seed has been one of the most historically rewarding activities a person can enjoy. This activity has also been shown to increase self-esteem and general satisfaction.
Light exercise is suitable for all ages and needs.
While some activities within extensive gardening can be quite intensive, such as hauling mulch and getting low to the ground, most labor involved with light gardening can be just as fulfilling while being easy on the joints. We recommend some small pots and local plant seeds to get started.
Enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of your labor- literally!
Imagine how fun and rewarding it would be to eat something that you cooked using ingredients grown with your own two hands. There are few other basic human pleasures as enjoyable as gardening your very own food. Most gardeners have healthier diets as a result of growing their vegetables, so they are more likely to eat them.
