Gardening And Mental Health (Gardening Makes Us Happy?)

Gardening And Mental Health (Gardening Makes Us Happy?) A supporter on Patreon asked me about homesteading, gardening and mental health. Today I talk about how I use coping strategies and gardening to improve my mental health and mental wellbeing. Links to research quoted below. Click SHOW MORE for more details, resources and info.

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Links to information raised in this video.

Also see - Lowry CA, Hollis JH, de Vries A, Pan B, Rosa Brunet L, Hunt JRF, Paton JFR, van Kampen E, Knight DM, Evans AK, Rook GAW, Lightman SL. Identification of an immune-responsive mesolimbocortical serotonergic system: potential role in regulation of emotional behavior. Neuroscience 146: 756-772, 2007.

I Can Make You Happy by Paul McKenna. One of the exercises in this book is to elevate your eye levels to feel more confident and happy about a stressful situation. (I'm still searching for a more scientific study of this).

About Us.
I share our organic homestead, called Byther Farm, with my loving partner, Mr J and our cat, Monty.
We are a fifty-something couple who live on a smallholding in Monmouthshire, Wales. We are going green and creating a gentler, cleaner and more healthy life for our family.
There is a large organic kitchen garden with no dig gardening raised beds and young food forest in which to grown our fruit and vegetables.
I'm currently exploring permaculture farming as a way of life.
We keep hybrid chickens and also have breeding flocks of Jersey Giants and Australorp chickens and Aylesbury ducks.

Music

[LizZorab]

If you've enjoyed this video, please give it a thumbs up and if you haven't done so already, please subscribe for more videos about gardening, poultry keeping and creating a food forest.

[simplifygardening]

I'm a firm believer that gardening has the ability to keep your mental health in great condition, I also believe not only your mental health but also your physical health too. If I didn't garden I would probably be in a depression by now

[NenavadniMocerad]

Dear Liz, i just wanted to say thank you for every video you posted! I am a very passionate 24 year old gardener from Slovenia and i struggle with similar depression every winter. And i have those days where i just can't get myself to do all the things i wanted to do, or anything really. A few months back i started writing every evening what i want to do the next day. I combine very easy tasks that take only a few minutes and things that take a fair amount of time and work. If i dont feel like doing the "big task" of the day i just do the easy ones to get some satisfaction and if i'm lucky it gets me going enough to do the hard things. But today for example, the thing that also helped me do more was your video. You inspired me enough to go clean up that pile of branches that has been hanging around in my garden for ever. Thank you Liz! I think i never left a comment on any of your videos before but i enjoy everything you post. U seem like a great person!

[ThornsandMyrtles]

Thank you for this video Liz. As a Christian who believes God made man “of the dust of the ground”, I love the idea that there is something in the soil that contributes to happiness. Thank you for the encouragement. Blessings!

[s]

Yes, I had to have something that forced purpose in my life, I had to care for the animals, I am accountable to grow our food, it's amazing how much self momentum comes from being "required" to do the joyful things we have purposefully put in our life.

[dayafeickert]

It’s so beautiful how it all is connected. We need nature so much. Now at a time when devices are often in our hands and we are so busy, it’s even more noticeable that nature is necessary. We can’t always move at society’s pace sometimes we need to move at nature’s pace. Our bodies and our soul crave it.

[MrBobthephilosopher]

Thanks for sharing Liz. Having a laugh with you on live chats lifts my spirits. Plus the wine of course...hic!

[cynthiahamblin-perry]

Very well put Liz! I know that gardening helps my mental, physical and spiritual health. Winter is hard for me as we have 4 feet of snow on the garden but I know the down time is needed and I enjoy reading gardening books, watching videos and planning (and of course feeding the seed addiction!) and I can feel Spring is on her way.

[lauraholmes]

I also consider my self-sufficiency "my job". when you look at it this way I think it makes it easier to get up and get motivated.

[magdafrydecka]

I thought I am alone at such feelings. Great you say it. I am surprised like a child! Love you

[figspigsandfeathers]

Great video Liz. Had a walk in the woods just yesterday. I always feel uplifted with a walk like that.

[samsallotmentdiary]

Hey Liz nice update it's a very important subject I like to keep busy myself keeps my mind of certain things since joining this lovely community it's helped me alot and obviously having my allotment helps leaps
All the best Liz 🌞🌱🌼🌻🐝🐞

[islandgardener]

The crappiest, most stressful day at work is gone after just a few minutes in the garden, it's always happy to see me and never demanding

[GardenMyselfHappy]

Hi Liz, I watched this and your channel when you first started. I absolutely loved your honesty as you sat in your garden saying it had saved your life. Here I am coming back to find it. I have started my own channel now, to try and focus myself on combining my garden and mental health better. I've lost the summer this year. The most important season in West Wales (as you know, though a blooming wet one this year).
Thank you for still being an inspiration.
Jane

[KellysKitchenGarden]

I swear Liz, if I didn’t have kids to look after there are days when I just know I wouldn’t get out of bed. Now I’ve been able to start building my vegetable garden at the new place and my seedlings are all showing their faces, I’m filled with an additional purpose. Thanks for all your videos and being so open and honest xxx

[annakozlowski]

Bless your heart so agreed..I learned about the microbes in dirt years ago..Great therapy and you get flowers and veg 💌🌱🌺

[EricBZink]

Great share and video! Awareness along with talking about this makes a difference to so many! Found inspiration here for my channel and vids! All the support!

[meehan]

Gardening is very therapeutic and gives a sense of well been and self-worth. I like your videos

[pabackyardhomesteading]

Liz - Thank you for answering my question! I am so touched and now motivated!

[jennisspace]

One of the many reasons why pets/animals are healthy for people with depression is that taking care of them gives people with depression a reason to get up in the morning. Thank you so much for pointing that out!