Gardening makes life more beautiful, but any gardener will tell you that gardening isn’t only about pretty flowers and growing your own food. Gardening has multiple mental health benefits. It allows us to connect with nature and get back to the basics. It gives us a healthy escape and lets us slow down and focus on the present. If you’re curious about how gardening can have a positive impact on your well-being, keep reading to learn more about the connection between gardening and mental health.
Gardening Reduces Anxiety and Depression
Let’s face it — we are designed to be outdoors. The most notable mental health benefit of gardening is improvement in mood. Studies have shown that spending time outdoors decreases psychological stress, mental fatigue, and symptoms associated with mood disorders like anxiety and depression. If you’re feeling stressed, gardening is a positive way to take care of your mental health and get back in touch with Mother Nature.
Enhanced Creativity
A surprising mental health benefit of gardening is an increase in creativity. If you’ve spent any time around plants, you know that keeping your plants healthy often requires troubleshooting and finding creative solutions to a problem. Spending time in nature also has a calming effect on the mind that encourages “out of the box” thinking. Furthermore, planning your garden layout and coordinating the various colors, sizes, and species is a great way to strengthen your creative muscles and improve mental health.
Boosts Self-Esteem
Whether it’s a new bud or a bountiful harvest, who doesn’t love to see their hard work pay off? There’s no better feeling than the sense of pride and satisfaction that comes along with doing a job well done. Dedicating time, effort, and care to a home garden can give you a sense of accomplishment. Gardening is great for mental health because when you finally see the fruit of your labor after countless hours of patience and hard work, you prove to yourself that you are capable!
Greater Happiness and Satisfaction With Life
It comes as no surprise that being outside and getting your hands dirty leads to a marked improvement in overall happiness and well-being. With the numerous mental health benefits of gardening, individuals that spend their free time weeding and sowing report a positive effect on overall mood, behavior, and general satisfaction with life.
Whether you garden because it makes you happy or because you’re all about maintaining your curb appeal, gardening is a hobby that everyone can benefit from. At Martin’s Home & Garden, we have everything you need to get started transforming your space. Visit our garden center today or shop online for all your gardening needs.
