Josh Levine, StartOrganic Co-founder, gardening with employees at Intuit HQ (Mountain View, CA)
In recent years, gardening has garnered more and more accolades regarding its health benefits, specifically when it comes to anxiety, stress, and depression. While those who regularly garden have always felt this is true, more and more scientific studies are now proving what many have long believed. With more calls for employee maintenance—is it time for employers to begin thinking of gardening on campus to improve their bottom and front line?
In an article written by Richard Thompson (Gardening for Health: a Regular Dose of Gardening), President of the Royal College of Physicians in London, gardening is described in a similar way to something that should be prescribed. He discusses how many of the drugs they prescribe may have negative side effects, sometimes without the beneficial outcomes. His evidence of the benefits of gardening is so conclusive that Thompson even goes so far as recommending gardening as an integral part of improving the public’s health to the NHS, England’s national healthcare system.
Happy Tesla employee showing off freshly picked radishes from the garden (Palo Alto, CA)
“The science shows that my plants are helping me and it may even take some pressure off the healthcare industry. To my way of thinking this should qualify gardeners to a discount on their health insurance premiums!” Thompson also describes the garden as “the gym that’s outside many windows” combined with extra sunlight/vitamin d proven to help those fighting a number of mental health issues.
In another recent study out of University of Colorado, Boulder, they analyzed a group of individuals taking part in community gardening with various backgrounds. The randomized controlled trial involved 145 people who never gardened before and tracked their physical and mental health during and after a growing season. Each participant received an introductory gardening course and was allocated a standard community garden plot, as well as seeds and seedlings.The study concluded that participating in community gardening reduces the risk of developing serious illnesses, including cancer and mental health disorders.
StartOrganic Co-founder Troy Smothermon helps employee choose her plants for the season
“The nature of gardening, usually outdoors, involves physical activity, a focus on something outside oneself — hence can also be a mindful activity — may be done in community, as in this study, which can serve as an additional social support.” Rebecca Crane-Okada, Ph.D., R.N., advanced oncology nurse and professor of oncology at St. John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Barbara, CA reported. “I think it’s a great study, looking at just the logistics of how they did it.”
With many new scientifically conducted studies showing that gardening can help any society as a whole, why can’t this help workers and employers looking to cut back on health care costs, employee sick days, and improve overall happiness? It’s great to see more and more peer-reviewed papers showing the health benefits of gardening, something that we’ve been hearing from employees and clients for over a decade.
Author: Josh Levine, StartOrganic Co-founder
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334070/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/gardening-may-help-reduce-cancer-risk-boost-mental-health#Beginners-benefit-from-gardening