Gardening can be a therapeutic activity

Spring provides increased energy, a positive outlook and an optimistic perspective for many individuals who at other times during the year tend to suffer from fatigue, boredom, lethargy and pessimism.

If there is any truth to the belief that a full moon coincides with an upsurge of emotional distress, then there should certainly be room for the observation by many mental health professionals that spring is the catalyst needed to nudge many of their patients into emotional health and wellness.

Longer daylight hours, warmer outside temperatures, emerging foliage replacing barren landscapes and the cycle of rebirth after death and dormancy all provide the symbols that most people associate with positive change.

Over the years I have found it interesting to observe the apparent psychological benefits of certain activities. Today, I want to speculate on one of these which often emerge for many of us in the springtime.

Gardening – the interaction between a person and one of nature’s most basic elements, the soil, serves as an effective therapeutic activity for many. Although, as my wife can tell you, I have never been a particular enthusiast of lawn and garden activities, I readily see the value and reasons behind the positive effects of these activities.

• The exercise used in gardening is beneficial. Anyone not regularly engaging in physical activity can attest to the protest from unused muscles the day after a garden is planted. Sore muscles are concrete evidence that activity has taken place, and, for many, activity is in and of itself part of the prescription for improved mental health.

• You may sleep sounder. Many gardeners say that a day or partial day in the sun spent digging, hoeing or watering results in a night of restful sleep.

• Active participation in the creation of a new life – via tilling and preparing the soil, planting the seeds and nurturing the emerging shoots to maturity and fruition – produces feelings of accomplishment, creativity, and a kinship with generations of humankind dating back to when our ancestors began growing their own food instead of simply hunting and foraging.

• Learning about plant life, foods, nutrients and how to encourage a greater yield of fruits and vegetables can’t be the beginning of a new interest, possibly a hobby that will enrich your leisure time. Such a hobby can often neutralize the effects of stress and tension encountered in one’s daily routine. Many novice gardeners are proud of their achievements in producing healthy vigorous plants and demonstrate this by sharing the fruits of their labor with family and friends. Organizations, like Caritas, welcome these gifts to provide nutrition to the needy in the community.

Copyright c 1995 Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D.