‘From a clinical research perspective, the positive effects of gardening on anxiety make sense. Most obviously, gardening provides a way to engage with nature. As research on wilderness therapy, horticultural therapy, and urban green spaces indicate, spending time in nature is associated with increased emotion regulation, decreased neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex (the area associated with rumination), and decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Additionally, gardening is rich with opportunities to practice mindfulness, the process of being aware of the present moment without judgment. For example, while gardening, you may notice the colours of the plants, the rich diversity of textures in the soil, and the smell of the earth and the flowers. While gardening, you must also fully engage and participate in the task so as not to over- or under-water your plants, incorrectly space the seeds you are planting, or pull out some flowers instead of those pesky weeds. All of these acts and sensations, so integrally a part of gardening, require you to be mindful. Given that mindfulness has been shown to be an important mechanism of symptom change in depression and anxiety across a variety of therapies, it makes clinical sense that the mental aspects of gardening can decrease depression and anxiety as well.
Finally, while gardening may seem like a relatively sedentary activity, gardening can provide aerobic exercise via weeding, trimming, and raking. Additionally, gardening activities such as spading, lifting, raking, and tilling both strength and tone your muscles, providing you with good anaerobic exercise. Considering that even mild exercise has been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression, it logically follows that the physical aspects of gardening have an effect on depression and anxiety as well.’ Taken from anxiety.org
Gardening to create a ‘space’ for you to have a minute in after a long day or to enjoy a sit in the sunshine can also be very beneficial and do your mind wonders. Read more on how you can create a sensory garden here and if you live in an urban environment, find out how to create a noise numbing retreat.
For more information on how gardening can help relieve stress, read more here.
