Are Your Happier Outdoors?
It’s a given that being in nature improves your state of mind, but did you know that it goes deeper than that? The physical labor involved when doing things like gardening releases endorphins, which relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve our sense of well-being. And a bacteria within the soil, mycobacterium vaccae, gets absorbed through our hands and causes our brains to release serotonin—a natural antidepressant. Do you remember when our parents told us to play in the dirt because would make us healthy? They were right! That bacteria also strengthens the immune system! And we thought they were just trying to get rid of us.
Time to reconnect with Mother Earth
Have you heard about grounding or earthing? It refers to the natural electrical charge of the earth and how when we are connected to it, it stabilizes our bodies, reducing inflammation, pain, and stress, while improving blood flow, energy levels, and sleep. Grounding is not a new phenomenon. Ancient civilizations often referred to the healing properties of the earth. Back then, they didn’t have synthetic materials like plastic or rubber that stopped that connection. They wore natural leather moccasins and people often slept on the ground wrapped in hand-woven blankets.
With bare hands, reach deep into the soil
But nowadays, people have become so disconnected from the earth’s energy that companies are making a fortune selling things like grounding sheets made of natural fibers with metal threading (usually silver, stainless steel, or carbon), that plug directly into the grounding slot in your electrical outlet. They also make grounding mats to rest your feet bare on, and grounding shoes without rubber soles. And the list goes on. All that expense, when all we need to do is walk barefoot in the yard, lean against a tree, swim in fresh or salt water, or simply reach our hands deep into the soil. I never wear gloves when I garden (unless I’m working where there might be poison ivy) and now I know why. It feels good.
Uncle Tim gave me my love of gardening
I absorbed my love of gardening from my Great Uncle Tim—a hunter, angler, and farmer, just like his dad. Tim eventually bought the family farm, and I spent many a day there with him, helping in the garden. I was young, but I remember that I loved every second. Now, when the ground thaws, I cannot wait to start tilling up soil, fertilizing, trimming established plants, visiting nurseries to buy new ones, and sowing seeds. It makes me happy. And then I wait for the fruits of our labor. I say “our” because my husband gets interested when the lawn or fruits and vegetables are involved. A couple of years ago he made raised wooden beds—so raised that we can stand next to them to plant, weed, and water without bending! Who knew? We filled them with organic soil, mulch, and fertilizer, and then bought plants from the organic farm down the street—which was where I was introduced to pineapple tomatoes. The plants are not prolific producers, but the fruits, which are orange with deep yellow veins and hints of red, are so sweet that they melt in your mouth. Last year was the first time I planted herbs in raised beds. Parsley, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, garlic, and purple onions. I used them fresh from the garden, but when they needed to be cut back, I learned how to dry and grind them, so I had fresh organic herbs all winter long. What a difference!
Barn smells feel like home to me
I’ve never read any literature on it, but I have to believe that the smells in horse barns — hay, manure, and shavings—are antidepressants too, because when I get a whiff, I just have to stop, inhale deeply, and let the earthy smell envelope me. It feels like home. We haven’t kept horses at our house in years, but a few neighbors still have them and when there’s too much manure in their compost pile, I love it when they ask if we need some. What’s better than filling up the tractor bucket to deliver that wonderful aroma back home to nourish our garden?
Until next time,
Jean — AKA The Strategic Chicken - Making Life’s Journey One Strategic Step at a Time
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