TAMPA, Fla. — Whether you have a green thumb or you can’t keep a plant alive, there’s good reason to get out in your garden.
Dr. Jamie Huysman, Chief Compassion Officer for WellMed, says there are a number of benefits linked to gardening, for your mental health.
“The process of gardening is an emotional regulator. Mental health is all about feeling neurologically good. Meaning, you’re not in fight, flight or freeze. So, we all have emotional regulators.”
He explains gardening can calm a person’s nervous system, much like listening to music or meditation. Just getting outside will help provide a natural boost, “and if there’s depression or anxiety, your body definitely craves vitamin D."
The forced time unplugged from the screen will also help a gardener decompress.
“Gardening itself allows us to learn to concentrate on what’s right in front of you, without getting distracted. Which is totally the opposite of social media,” explains Huysman.