How does gardening reduce stress and anxiety?

From the Guidelines

Gardening is a highly effective activity for reducing stress and anxiety, as evidenced by its association with decreased depression and anxiety levels, and increased life satisfaction 1. When considering the impact of gardening on mental health, it's essential to look at the broader context of activities that promote well-being. According to a 2022 review published in Perspectives on Psychological Science 1, engaging in gardening, exercising, reading, or listening to music can predict decreases in depression. Specifically, spending more time gardening is linked to reduced levels of anxiety and greater life satisfaction. This suggests that incorporating gardening into one's routine can have a positive impact on both stress and anxiety levels.

Key Benefits of Gardening for Mental Health

• Physical activity from gardening releases endorphins, which naturally improve mood
• Exposure to sunlight during gardening increases vitamin D production and helps regulate serotonin levels
• The sensory experience of touching soil exposes individuals to beneficial microorganisms that can boost mood
• The repetitive nature of gardening tasks creates a meditative state, similar to mindfulness practices, helping to quiet racing thoughts

Implementing Gardening for Stress Reduction

To start reducing stress through gardening, individuals can begin with simple container plants if space is limited or dedicate a small plot in their yard. Spending just 20-30 minutes several times a week tending to plants, focusing on the sensations and process rather than perfection, can be beneficial. Many people find that morning gardening sets a positive tone for the day, while evening gardening helps transition from work stress to relaxation. The psychological benefits come partly from the sense of accomplishment and control gardening provides, offering tangible results in an often chaotic world, while connecting with nature fulfills a fundamental human need that modern lifestyles often neglect, as supported by the findings in the 2022 review 1.

From the Research

Benefits of Gardening for Stress and Anxiety Reduction

• Gardening has been shown to reduce anxiety symptoms, with participants who gardened for ≥ 15 years and those gardening > 8 h over two weeks having lower anxiety scores 2
• Spending more time outdoors on weekdays also decreased anxiety scores, suggesting that sustained gardening and other outdoor activities could help reduce anxiety 2
• A field experiment found that gardening led to decreases in cortisol levels and improved self-reported mood, providing evidence that gardening can promote relief from acute stress 3

Mechanisms of Stress Reduction

• Gardening can promote neuroendocrine and affective restoration from stress, with salivary cortisol levels and self-reported mood improving after gardening 3
• While cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a commonly used treatment for anxiety disorders, gardening can be a complementary activity that promotes relaxation and stress reduction 4, 5

Gardening as a Public Health Strategy

• Gardening can be a public health strategy to boost societal resilience to disturbances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing a sense of nature connection, individual stress release, outdoor physical activity, and food provision 6
• The importance of gardening for stress relief and nature connection was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with respondents reporting that gardening was essential for their mental health and well-being 6