{"id":5327,"date":"2021-06-11T15:00:59","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T19:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/?p=5327"},"modified":"2023-01-04T12:37:57","modified_gmt":"2023-01-04T17:37:57","slug":"how-gardening-improves-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/how-gardening-improves-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"How Gardening Improves Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by: Fatimah Gomez<\/strong><\/p>\n

I<\/span>n today\u2019s time of COVID-19 and isolation, moods have dipped for many, stresses levels\u00a0 have rocketed and many Canadian have been left feeling anxious and fearful of what\u00a0these\u00a0 difficult times are going to bring next. In the sixth and latest poll conducted by Mental Health\u00a0 Research Canada, it was found that \u201c28% of Canadians reporting high levels of anxiety and 17%\u00a0 reporting high levels of depression\u201d during the month of April. However, many Canadians,\u00a0 specifically, \u201ctwo-thirds (69%)\u201d of the population are also finding ways to stand resilient and\u00a0 optimistic for better times coming! How do we combat mental health struggles and improve\u00a0 our moods during a time where we don\u2019t even leave our homes much? Such an answer is taking\u00a0 to the work of gardening!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When we get ourselves nice and dirty in garden work such as clearing weeds, hoeing\u00a0 soil, removing natural debris, planting new seeds, daily watering, tending to flowers and\u00a0 delicate plants, our bodies get physically active to release stress hormones such as cortisol and\u00a0 adrenaline. Endorphins are produced, which are \u201cthe body’s natural painkillers and mood\u00a0 elevators\u201d (Harvard Health). Also, serotonin levels are increased, which are neurotransmitters\u00a0 that act to regulate our moods and make us feel happier. Getting out in the sun while in your\u00a0 garden weeding the vegetable patch or tending to the flowers in the front gives you your daily\u00a0 dose of Vitamin D and according to the London Royal College of Physicians, \u201clowers blood\u00a0 pressure\u201d. Gardening encourages the aspect of recycling, reusing and finding creative ways to\u00a0 eat and live sustainably, such as using compost scraps for a worm farm, recycling plastic soda\u00a0 bottles for indoor plants or even finding ways to use old furniture for plant pots!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Learning gardening as a new skill gives a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem. For\u00a0 some of us who find it hard to get out of the bed during the low days, we can find a source of\u00a0 satisfaction in watching our hard work and efforts bear their fruits with pink petals and green\u00a0 levels bursting forth from damp soil. Caring for your own plants delivers a deep feeling of\u00a0 responsibility and happiness. It can be a way of therapy to an individual and connection with\u00a0 the land. With Indigenous people, many of their generations have lived with the understanding\u00a0 that the land is a sacred element of this life and many Indigenous cultures and practices are set\u00a0 in the idea of living in harmony with the land that surrounds us. Recently I read the beautifully crafted novel <\/span>Medicine Walk <\/span><\/i>by Richard Wagamese, late Ojibway storyteller of B.C., and in this\u00a0 book the main character stated, \u201ce<\/span>verything a guy would need is here [in nature] if you want it and\u00a0 know how to look for it… You gotta spend time gatherin\u2019 what you need. What you need to keep you\u00a0 strong. [It\u2019s called] a medicine walk\u201d (Wagamese pg. 65). Clearly, a connection with nature and gardens\u00a0 around us a key to well-being and strength. There is a sense of relaxation and ease that we humans find\u00a0 when we are present in natural environments and are able to engage ourselves with all of our five\u00a0 senses.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, the next time you have a bit of time on your hands, want to get out of the house, or simply\u00a0 wish to enjoy the warm feeling of golden sunlight on your face, consider working on\u00a0your garden, too!\u00a0 Whether that be choosing which seeds you\u2019d like to start off with, clearing away the weeds in the front\u00a0 yard, or tending to the flowers you\u2019re so proud of, keep in mind that you\u2019re doing good for your body\u00a0 and mind, too. Best of luck on your gardening journey!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Resources\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Harvard Health. (2020, July 7). <\/span>Exercising to relax<\/span><\/i>. <\/span>https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/staying healthy\/exercising-to-relax<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

London Royal College of Physicians. (2018, June). <\/span>Gardening for health: A regular dose of\u00a0 gardening<\/span><\/i>. Clinical Medicine. <\/span>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7861\/clinmedicine.18-3-201<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mental Health Research Canada. (n.d.). <\/span>Findings of Poll 6<\/span><\/i>. Retrieved June 6, 2021, from\u00a0 <\/span>https:\/\/www.mhrc.ca\/national-poll-covid\/findings-of-poll-6<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wagamese, R. (2016). <\/span>Medicine Walk <\/span><\/i>(Reprint ed.). Milkweed Editions.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s time of COVID-19 and isolation, moods have dipped for many, stresses levels\u00a0 have rocketed and many Canadian have been left feeling anxious and fearful of what\u00a0these\u00a0 difficult times are going to bring next. In the sixth and latest poll conducted by Mental Health\u00a0 Research Canada, it was found that \u201c28% of Canadians reporting high levels of anxiety and 17%\u00a0 reporting high levels of depression\u201d during the month of April. However, many Canadians,\u00a0 specifically, \u201ctwo-thirds (69%)\u201d of the population are also finding ways to stand resilient and\u00a0 optimistic for better times coming! How do we combat mental health struggles and improve\u00a0 our moods during a time where we don\u2019t even leave our homes much? Such an answer is taking\u00a0 to the work of gardening!\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5336,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5327"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5327"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11374,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5327\/revisions\/11374"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}