Need a mood boost? Here's why gardening might be worth a try

The connection between gardening and mental wellbeing is well-documented by researchers. (Unsplash: Jonathan Kemper) Link copiedShareShare articleAfter the birth of her youngest child, Manu Prigioni found herself in a tough place. Bushfires had torn through the Blue Mountains during her pregnancy, destroying about 200 homes and damaging even more. Manu Prigioni says gardening helped her reconnect with an important part of herself. (Supplied: Manu Prigioni) It was a frightening time for those who lived there, and against this backdrop, Manu's natural desire to keep her children safe evolved into what she describes as "obsessive-compulsive tendencies". Germs were the enemy, and she cleaned furiously. Her home was spotless, but she was washing her hands frequently and having repeated panic attacks. Knowing she needed help, Manu reached out to a community health service and was put in touch with a psychologist — who happened to be into gardening. "She happened to be a really amazing organic grower, and … it was exactly what was needed." Her psychologist suggested exposure therapy, and for Manu, getting her hands into compost and soil — which contain microbes like bacteria and fungi — was part of this. The exposure treatment was a slow process "because it was terrifying", she says. Being in nature, taking pause, moving the body and the opportunity for social connection — that's the perfect recipe for boosting our mental health. And eventually, being in the garden helped lead her back to a part of herself she had forgotten. Before migrating to Australia, Manu grew up in Italy and spent her early childhood outdoors. "From zero to six years old, I lived in a little village and my grandpa looked after me because my parents were both working," she says. Most days, Manu and her "nonno" (grandfather) would be outdoors. "We would pick flowers. We would forage for different seasonal things, like chestnuts and hazelnuts … then we would sit in specific places together to look at the fields," she says. "And I realise now that … had a big effect on me when I was growing up. "I'd kind of forgotten because for decades I hadn't lived with a garden." Manu Prigioni has rediscovered her love of nature in a big way. (Supplied: Manu Prigioni) While experts agree that gardening alone is not a treatment or fix for mental illness, a growing body of evidence links it with higher levels of mental wellbeing and life satisfaction. A study published in 2023 found a significant association between longer durations of gardening and greater mental wellbeing and life satisfaction, based on survey results from almost 5,000 adults in Brisbane aged 46–80. Jonathan Kingsley says any amount of gardening can improve wellbeing. (Supplied: Jonathan Kingsley) Senior researcher Jonathan Kingsley, from Swinburne University of Technology's School of Health Sciences in Naarm/Melbourne, says mental wellbeing and life satisfaction scores were "dramatically increased" in survey participants who did 2.5 hours or more of gardening per week and even more so among those aged 64 or over. But he said people who gardened less than this also reported greater wellbeing. "We found that people who gardened [from] one to 149 minutes, so just under two and a half hours, had better health outcomes than the zero [gardening group]," he says. While those surveyed were Brisbane-based and the study did not find that gardening was the cause of better mental health, Dr Kingsley says it adds to a large body of research showing a significant link between the two. "Every study you're finding on this is saying the same things … there are clear mental health, and life satisfaction and wellbeing benefits." Gardening can get you outside, into the sun and doing something physical. (Unsplash: Ona Creative) Canberra-based psychologist Zebunnissa Khan, who lives on Ngambri and Ngunnawal Country, agrees. She says gardening is a mindful activity that asks us to be present in the moment, and engages at least four of our five senses: touch, sight, smell, sound (and potentially taste, if you're growing things to munch on). "We're getting out of the house … in nature, there's fresh air, hopefully there's some vitamin D," she says. Ms Khan says for people with depression, practising gardening and other hobbies that they enjoyed when well can also help create a feeling of safety. Zebunnissa Khan, from Lifestyle Psychology in Canberra, says gardening can be a useful tool for improving mood. (Supplied: Zebunnissa Khan) "They remind your brain, 'Oh, I'm actually safe. I'm not in survival mode. Something bad is not about to happen,'" she says. "It's actually something I really strongly encourage for a lot of my clients." Ms Khan says gardening can also help activate the brain's dopamine and serotonin pathways. "These are the pathways in the brain that are linked to pleasure, motivation and wellbeing. These are our happy chemicals," she says. Dr Kingsley says gardenin

Need a mood boost? Here's why gardening might be worth a try

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Need a mood boost? Here's why gardening might be worth a try

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