How to Boost Your Mood With Plants

Feeling stuck in a rut? Overwhelmed by life and trapped in an endless mental hamster wheel? You're not alone, and the good news is that the solution might be closer than you think—right outside your door. No need for the latest gadget or trend your social media feed is pushing; all it takes is a little dirt on your hands and some time with nature.

Whenever I’m in a bad mood, I know that just 20 minutes of digging in the soil or spending time around plants always lifts my spirits. There’s something undeniably healing about reconnecting with nature, grounding yourself in the earth, and soaking in the beauty of the outdoors. Have you ever walked away from admiring a flower and felt worse? Exactly. That’s because interacting with plants can trigger a release of those feel-good chemicals in our brains, pulling us up from even the deepest lows.

So if you need to boost your mood, you just need to grow a garden. In this blog we’ll discuss why + how you can boost your mood with plants by increasing your happy hormones – serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins – through gardening. 

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Why your hormones matter

Ok so why are the hormones mentioned above critical to your happiness? If you want to nerd out and learn the science behind how these three work in your body, read this study. It goes through how these hormones work  and how you can build the levels of each of them individually. Here’s a quick run down: 

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The calm of serotonin

Basically, serotonin is the ‘feel-good’ hormone. When your serotonin levels are good, you’ll feel like you’re just vibing with life. If you take an SSRI - you already know this - but serotonin is the hormone those drugs are targeting. When your serotonin is regulated, you feel content, happy, and overall well. So then why do you need to regulate the other two hormones? Because have you ever felt happy and good but like something was still missing? Boosting your dopamine and endorphin levels will make your wellness feel whole. 

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Dopamine delights

Moving on, dopamine is the hormone that controls your feelings of pleasure, motivation, and reward. Remember the last time you rage cleaned? That urge to scrub every corner of your space might have been driven by imbalanced dopamine levels. But how did you feel afterward? Chances are, you felt an elated sense of relief in your freshly cleaned, good-smelling home. That’s dopamine at work, rewarding your brain with a burst of contentment and energy. When you complete a task, dopamine gives your brain a little treat, leaving you not only happy but also motivated to keep going.

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Chasing that endorphin high

Finally, endorphins. Remember that quote from Legally Blonde? "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." When you bring your heart rate up through physical exertion of any kind, your body creates endorphins. Endorphins are produced in response to the sometimes stress or discomfort that exercise entails and they help alleviate pain and enhance pleasure, leading to a feeling of euphoria.  You might feel this after a good run, weight lifting session, or any kind of activity that gets you hot and sweaty (obviously, sex is on that list). They also help clear out any brain fog caused by depression, moon phase, or any other lingering illness. Endorphins help you mentally and physically clear out the toxins. 

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So like we said earlier, you don’t have to complicate things. Keep it simple. Go outside. You can boost your mood through simply working on your garden. If you have an outdoor space or access to one, all you need is 20 minutes a day and a weekly plan to maximize all three happy hormones. At once. With the same activity. Work smarter, not harder, fam.

Here’s your weekly gardening plan. 

It's designed to be repeated weekly with varied, targeted activities that not only help boost your endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin, but also leave you with a well-maintained, plant-filled space where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. 

Monday: General Garden Maintenance

Activity: Inspect your garden for any issues, pick up sticks/debris  and tidy up the area.

• How it helps: Regular maintenance offers a sense of control and order, reducing stress and boosting serotonin. Completing tasks and keeping your garden neat increases dopamine, while light physical activity releases endorphins by gently raising your heart rate.

Tuesday: Watering and Pruning

Activity: Water your plants thoroughly (by this we mean water the soil) and prune any dead or overgrown parts.

• How it helps: Regularly caring for plants by watering and pruning can be meditative and relaxing, increasing serotonin. The physical activity involved helps release endorphins, enhancing your overall mood.

Wednesday: Weeding

Activity: Take time to remove weeds from your garden beds and pathways. To make it easier to lift the weeds from the root, consider watering them first to loosen the soil. Also, if you don’t have one, I HIGHLY recommend using a hori-hori knife  to help you dig down deep.

• How it helps: Weeding provides moderate physical exercise (especially if you have a lot of them or they’re especially stubborn), which increases your endorphins. The satisfaction from clearing weeds and seeing immediate results boosts your dopamine.

Thursday: Soil Enrichment

Activity: Add compost or fertilizer to your garden to enrich the soil.

• How it helps: Handling compost and enriching soil is a tactile and fulfilling task, increasing serotonin levels. The physical exertion of turning compost releases endorphins, and the anticipation of healthier plants and completing the daily tasks boosts dopamine.

Friday: Plant Care and Observation

Activity: Spend time observing your plants, checking for pests, diseases, and general plant health.

• How it helps: Observing and caring for your plants helps you connect with nature and can be very calming, increasing serotonin. The satisfaction of healthy, thriving plants boosts dopamine.

Saturday: Harvesting and Enjoying Produce

Activity: Harvest ripe vegetables, fruits, and herbs from your garden or make a floral bouquet from flowers around your neighborhood.

• How it helps: Harvesting provides a direct reward for your efforts, boosting dopamine due to the immediate gratification. The physical act of harvesting or picking flowers can release endorphins, while consuming fresh produce can positively affect serotonin levels through good, solid nutrition.

Sunday: Relaxing and Reflecting

Activity: Spend time sitting in your garden, observing nature, and reflecting on your gardening week.

• How it helps: Relaxing in a natural setting allows for mindfulness and stress reduction, increasing serotonin. The calm observation of your work and the beauty of your space can reinforce a sense of achievement and contentment, boosting dopamine.

You’ll boost serotonin through the calming activities of watering, pruning, and quiet observation. Dopamine increases with tasks like planning, planting, and harvesting. Endorphins are released through physical activities like weeding and composting. By following this weekly plan, you’ll cultivate a beautiful garden and a happier, healthier mind.

Need help getting started on your garden? Reach out to me for a consultation today!

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