Gardening for Stress and Anxiety

Reader Contribution by Chelsea Clark
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Scientific research is showing that home gardening for stress and anxiety is an effective means of physical and mental therapy.

My mom and grandma are two of the best gardeners I know. They spent countless hours in the garden turning the soil, planting seeds and starts, weeding, watering, and keeping their plants happy with organic fertilizers. In the summer, the fruits and veggies harvested from their gardens fill our plates, and we always have fresh bouquets of beautiful flowers to put in the center of the dinner table. Besides their love of plants, my mom and grandma share another important quality: They are also two of the healthiest women I know. My mom never gets sick, is always bursting with energy, and can outrun me any day. My grandmother is 82, yet from her strength and energy you would never guess she was in her eighties.

You have probably known some gardeners like this — people who live long, healthy lives, spending their days outside happily digging in the dirt. But is gardening actually good for you, or is it just a coincidence?

In one study, people with a garden scored better on measures of health and well-being compared to control group without the gardens, particularly in the age group over 62.[1] It turns out that gardening offers some amazing benefits to your health; starting your own garden might teach you how to relieve stress, get more exercise, eat better, and stay healthier and happier into old age.

Why Is Gardening Good for You?

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