Stressed? Start digging!
Recent research from the Netherlands suggests that gardening can fight stress better than other relaxing leisure activities. After completing a stressful task, researchers split participants into two groups and instructed one group to read indoors and the other to garden for 30 minutes. The results? The gardening group reported being in a better mood than the reading group, and also had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Studies also show that gardening may even help improve depression symptoms.
A Norway study found that half of its participants diagnosed with depression, persistent low mood, or bipolar II disorder who spent six hours a week growing flowers and vegetables saw measurable improvement in their depression symptoms. And their mood continued to be better three months after the gardening program ended!
According to Health, there is a harmless, perhaps healthy bacteria commonly found in soil, called Mycobacterium vaccae. Researchers have found that this bacteria can “increase the release and metabolism of serotonin in parts of the brain that control cognitive function and mood—much like serotonin-boosting antidepressant drugs do.”
Forget bubble baths and spas – sometimes you just have to get dirty!