Gardening Reduces Stress
.
Stress-relieving effects of gardening were hypothesized and tested in a field experiment. Thirty allotment gardeners performed a stressful Stroop task and were then randomly assigned to 30 minutes of outdoor gardening or indoor reading on their own allotment plot. Salivary cortisol levels and self-reported mood were repeatedly measured. Gardening and reading each led to decreases in cortisol during the recovery period, but decreases were significantly stronger in the gardening group. Positive mood was fully restored after gardening, but further deteriorated during reading. These findings provide the first experimental evidence that gardening can promote relief from acute stress.
Source: “Gardening Promotes Neuroendocrine and Affective Restoration from Stress” from Journal of Health Psychology
Join over 151,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.
Related posts:
6 Hostage Negotiation Techniques That Will Get You What You Want
How To Get People To Like You: 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior Expert
