Five Mental Benefits to Gardening and Landscaping

Working in the garden or as a landscaper offers a plethora of health benefits. Not only is working outdoors relaxing and provides the opportunity to connect with nature, many gardeners and landscapers view it as the perfect antidote to the modern world, a way of reclaiming some of the intangible things we’ve lost in our busy, dirt-free lives. Working outdoors can provide a source of fresh, healthy produce, ease stress, keep you limber, and even improve your mood.

We have listed the top five mental health benefits to gardening and landscaping below. As mentioned, the list is extensive, but we wanted to break down those we felt were most important to improving one’s daily lifestyle.

Stress Relief
Gardening or simply working outdoors can fight stress even better than other relaxing leisure activities. The sights, smells, and sounds of the garden are said to promote relaxation and reduce stress. It is too often we forget the simple things in life: getting our hands dirty and getting in touch with the world around us. Too often we are sucked into the world of technology we live in and forget to pick up a rake and soak up some sunshine.

Mood and Attitude Improvement
Studies have shown that the attention of gardening may even help improve depression symptoms. Too often now, we are stuck behind a computer screen or on the telephone, and do not make enough time to connect with nature and the outdoors. When you work in the landscaping industry or garden as a hobby, you develop an overall positive attitude and a daily mood that is happy and carefree. Soaking up some sun, exerting physical labor and enjoying the breeze can do so much for the mind, body and soul!

Exercise and Self-Appreciation
Gardening gets you out in the fresh air and sunshine — and it also gets your blood moving. There are lots of different movements in gardening, so you get some exercise benefits out of it as well. Digging, planting, weeding, and other repetitive tasks require strength or stretching and are excellent forms of low-impact exercise, especially for people who find more vigorous exercise a challenge. Long term, people are more likely to stick with it and do it often as it is fun and doesn’t feel like you are running on a treadmill, waiting for your 30 minute run to end.

Cognitive Health
Some research suggests that the physical activity associated with gardening can help lower the risk of developing dementia.  The combination of physical and mental activity involved in gardening may have a positive influence on the mind and can be therapeutic. That sensory experience of being outdoors touches use deep in our bodies and minds.

Nutrition
The food you grow yourself is the freshest food you can eat. Because home gardens are filled with fruits and vegetables, it’s also among the healthiest food you can eat. Not surprisingly, several studies have shown that gardeners eat more fruits and vegetables than their peers. Having the ability to grow your own food provides a deep sense of ownership for gardeners. Walking outside, pulling the plants from the earth and transferring them to your dinner table is a very rewarding for the mind and body.

We hope that after reading this article, you can relate to one or more of the top five mental health benefits of gardening. If you know anyone who is interested in working outdoors and needs to get in touch with nature, gardening and landscaping is the key to a much more positive lifestyle, both physically and mentally. As mentioned several times above, there is a long list of benefits to these occupations/hobbies and we hope you are inspired to get outside and reap them again and again!