Did you know that playing in the dirt is good for your mental health? Science says it is.
I've noticed over the last year, as I've working in my yard and planting seedlings, that my overall demeanor is different. I'm calmer. I feel less stressed.
And when I miss a few days of dirt, I get tense and cranky. I've thought it was just the relaxing sounds and feels of being outdoors. But that's just part of it.
Science has found microbes in soil that cause the brain to produce more serotonin, a neurotransmitter that sends information between the nerve cells. It effects mood and emotions to name just a couple functions. As you work in the soil, you inhale the microbes into your body and they do their thing in your brain.