What to say about times such as these? How can we possibly keep our sanity, relieve anxiety, restore calm and escape our reality even for just a little while? Nature is the prescription for optimal physical and mental health. There’s no better Rx for curing our blues. Gardening on small and large scales, along with taking a hike in the woods, walking a trail and hanging out with our furry friends can lift our spirits and provide more benefit than we could ever imagine.
Here are my favorite tips for green-inspired stress relief:
Head outside
It is so easy to become the ultimate couch potato. Before you begin to sprout from your personal seed-potato status, get out and soak up some sunshine. You’ll grab some vitamin D and feel great long after you return from your outdoor adventures. Don’t forget the sunscreen. Try making a habit out of daily walks and create a self-imposed schedule. Humans are creatures of habit, and recurring activity helps us feel in control and at peace.
Love your furry friends
I don’t think it will surprise most pet owners to learn we are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets. Owning a pet has also been shown to lower blood pressure. Playing with our furry pals can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, calming and relaxing us.
Who loves to get into the great outdoors even more than we do? Our pets, that’s who! The excitement my two standard poodles show toward walk-time is inspiring (and sometimes annoying) but I let them motivate me to get moving. Head into the yard for a game of ball, or grab the leash for a trip around the block. Your pets will thank you for it and you’ll be feeling all the love.
Get gardening
Find a nice spot wherever you’re at and plant some seeds or grab some plants from the local nursery. They are still open here in Iowa. Read the seed packet or the tag on the plant and dive right in. For pots you’re going to want potting soil, widely available in nurseries, home improvement and big box stores. For in ground, you’ll want garden soil or compost lightened with peat and vermiculite. No yard, no worries! You can grow flowers and veggies in pots. Most vegetables will want full sun, but there are flowers and leafy plants for every light condition.
Feel the soil
I often wear gloves when I garden to save my hands from the effects of my extensive hours of gardening. More and more though, I’m stripping the gloves off and letting my hands submerge deep into the beautiful black earth. In recent years, there have been several new scientific studies around the benefits of literally getting our hands dirty.
Contact with the soil, specifically with mycobacterium vaccae soil bacteria,, triggers the release of serotonin in our brain, according to recent research. Getting down and dirty is being found to be the best ‘upper,’ rivaling antidepressants in mood boosting effectiveness. I’m no doctor and would always say follow your doctor’s orders, but why not try adding a little soil intake for your hands and see what happens? While you’re at it, you’ll be curing boredom, exercising the creative side of your brain and producing something lovely that will provide ongoing rewards.
Remember getting dirty is good for body and soul. There’s been a great deal of research in the last decade illustrating how good a little dirt is for us. Dirt-deficiency in childhood, for example, has been shown to contribute to a wide range of illnesses including allergies, asthma and mental disorders.
What to do? Get outside and get some dirt under your nails. Don’t forget to give the kids their own dirty projects. I’ve never met a young child who wasn’t absolutely fascinated with planting and caring for seeds and plants. And remember making mud pies as a kid? Now science shows us there’s a reason it made us so happy! Get dirty!
Harvesting your ‘high’
Research has also shown that our brains produce a release of dopamine when we harvest the fruits and veggies of our labor. The theory is this response evolved thanks to nearly 200,000 years of a hunter-gatherer existence. When food was found after much effort, a surge of dopamine was released in our ancestors’ brains producing a feeling of bliss.
We see it, smell it and feel a great sense of victory. It is not our imagination. It is science. How cool is that?
I love the hunt for that first blossom, the first fruit and the almost miraculous emergence of the ripening veggie as it nears harvest time. At harvest, the hunt continues as I switch to gathering mode. The feelings of satisfaction I enjoyed at planting time return again when I feel a sense of achievement as Ienjoy the most beautiful flowers, the taste of that first berry and the delight of that first vine-ripened tomato. The coolest part? I grew it myself. I did it… and you can too.
So, let’s get out there. Put down the remote and make our joy in our own backyards, in a pot on our balconies, around the block or down that trail. Happiness, stress relief and sanity await.
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