by Catherine Haug, July 26, 2013
The BBC has a great 2 minute video with Brit gardener, Monty Don, on the topic of gardening to increase your happiness and ease depression. I’ve not been able to isolate the video on the BBC website, so for now you’ll have to view it on Mercola’s website: Gardening can help beat depression.
It’s all about the natural joy you experience when you put your hands in good fertile soil and do other work in the landscape – it just feels good. From Mercola’s article:
“According to a recent survey for Gardeners World magazine, 80 percent of gardeners reported being “happy” and satisfied with their lives, compared to 67 percent of non-gardeners. And the more time spent in the garden, the higher their satisfaction scores—87 percent of those who tend to their gardens for more than six hours a week report feeling happy, compared to those spending less time in their gardens.”
See also GardenersWorld.com: Gardening makes you happy. Here’s a quote:
“Humans have evolved with the land, and spent thousands of years growing our own food. We belong outside. Modern lifestyles force many of us into offices and apartment blocks. For some people, their only time outside during the week is the journey to and from the car. But we gardeners have a reason to be outside, and to be part of nature. It makes us happy because it’s part of who we are.”
I can personally report that I begrudge the time when I go out to work in the yard (because I’d rather be sewing). But once there, it’s hard to get me to stop, I just feel so good. Especially when I’m out picking my first year crop of raspberries!