Don’t Let Your Mind Consume You – Let Gardening Bloom You
by Melia Dienst
Better Mental Health
It’s commonly known that extreme stress can lead to both physical and mental issues such as: high blood pressure, increased anxiety, depression and even changes in the brain ultimately leading to cognitive impairment later in life. While the thought of this may be scary, there’s one very easy way to slow down and perhaps even prevent the symptoms of this problem—getting your hands dirty!
A research study with people suffering from mental health issues found that when a community comes together to garden, an increase of happiness, relaxation and confidence occur. Gardening can be utilized to improve social connections by providing people a “sense of belonging” to nature and their community. When people have the option to do good by creating something fruitful, they not only give back to nature, but they also receive a sense of pride. The benefits of gardening can also help us as we age.
Blooming with Empathy
Individuals living with severe mental illnesses often find joy in taking care of something living. Think about gardening from a parenting point of view. When people watch a creation of their own change over time, they enhance emotional well-being as they become attached to their products and its progress. In the study Participation in Community Gardening: Sowing the Seeds of Well-Being, one participant said: “Raising it was like my child, raising something to a point where it was growing, healthy – It’s the weirdest feeling. It’s like, ooh this is my garden. Look that’s growing ‘cause I watered and planted it.” Embracing these healthy reactions towards nature and its processes is wonderful for the brain’s ability to empathize with the environment and value even the smallest things (even if plants don’t have emotions themselves).
Blossoming Cognitive Functioning
Horticultural therapy can alleviate symptoms seen in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Participants recruited from an urban nursing home who expressed symptoms of Alzheimer’s were shown to have improved symptoms by the end of the study. Overall memory and ability to concentrate had also improved when exposed to the bright colors, sweet smells, soft/rough textures and sounds found in gardening. When these senses were
heightened, participants were even able to recall happy memories of their own gardens/floral places they once lived near.
Another study which took place in an assisted care facility recorded fine/gross motor improvement through actions such as placing plants in pots, pinching small leaves, watering and shoveling. These interactions with plant life played a significant role enhancing life satisfaction. Residents do not feel limited to their disabilities or abnormal functions when gardening, allowing room for creativity and increased self-esteem. Having the free will to express themselves in nature while enjoying the physical motor executions in gardening has been found to be associated with reminiscing about plant related memories from their childhood.
Reminiscing the Dirty Days
When I was young, I didn’t necessarily find joy in “getting my hands dirty.” I was timid to dig around in the soil in fear a bug would come and attack me. I found the task of gardening to be tedious, uncomfortable (constant crouching) and even boring. But this research has inspired me to perhaps give this practice another chance. Mother earth nurtures us and it’s crucial that we give back and nurture the land as well.. We’ll get more than just “pretty, tasty plants” in return.
References
D’Andrea, S. J., Batavia, M., & Sasson, N. (2007). Effect of Horticultural Therapy on Preventing the Decline of Mental Abilities of Patients with Alzheimer’s Type Dementia. Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, 18, 8–17. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44025586
Fetherman, D. L., Levine, A., Burke, S., & Golden, M. A. (2005). An Exploration of the Meaning and Effects of Horticultural Therapy on Human Health and Well-Being. Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, 16, 6–18. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44025085
Suto, Melinda J., et al. (2021). Participation in Community Gardening: Sowing the Seeds of Well-Being: Participation Au Jardinage Communautaire : Pour Semer Les Graines Du Bien-Être. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 88(2), 142–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008417421994385