Dr Curtis Cripe – How Gardening Can Help Your Mental Health

Given the challenging year which we have all been through, there is no doubt that for many of us, our mental health is not at its best. A year of weirdness, lockdowns, fears and anxiety have done nothing to help us to be at our best. It is for this reason why those experts in this field, people like Dr Curtis Cripe, have been discussing some of the ways in which we can give our mental health the positive boost which it so desperately needs. One particular way in which you can do this, and a practice which Dr Cripe himself has recommended, is to take up gardening.

No matter how skilled a gardener you are, there are a great number of mental health benefits which you can count on when you get out into the garden and regularly spend some time there.

Natural Setting

One of the most important reasons as to why gardening is able to help so much is that it forces you to get outside into nature. Studies have proven time and time again that those who are closest to nature are those who are usually less stressed and have lower anxiety levels. This is because you are breathing in fresh air and you are surrounded by a peaceful setting, which asks little from you. Gardening will be a surefire way to ensure that you are spending a good portion of your time in a natural environment.

Freeing the Mind

You may not feel particularly excited about gardening but one thing which you can count on when you do get started out there, is that you will forget about any worries or stresses which you have. There is something so primitive about caring for a lawn or cutting flowers, that it has a wonderful ability to help you to completely forget about the rest of the world. We all need ways in which we can just switch off because it allows us to increase our stress fighting abilities. Through gardening you will certainly find that ability to forget about everything else and focus on what you are doing.

Physical Health

You may not draw the link between gardening and physical health but you’d be surprised at just how calories you will burn as you tend to the garden. There is also strength building here, which comes from the heavy tasks which you will find in the garden. Even if you are just clearing things up, you will still find yourself bending over, lifting and moving around far more than you would do if you stay inside the house. When we do exercise it releases endorphins in the body, chemicals which give us a nice buzz and a happy feeling. Exercise is critical for mental health and the more that you are able to get, the better that you are likely to feel.

This is something which anyone who owns a garden, no matter how small, should be doing with a portion of their day.