Friday Fix: How Gardening Can Help Your Depression

Every Friday, the Verywell Mind Podcast releases a new episode featuring an actionable tip or exercise for managing a particular mental health issue. This is the transcript for episode 198, "How Gardening Can Help Your Depression."

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Transcript

There are many different treatments for depression, including medication, therapy, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. But lifestyle changes can also help.

One great way to improve your mood and reduce stress is to grow a garden. Horticulture therapy has become an entire field of treatment for people who want to improve their well-being.

Whether it's a community garden or just a few plants in your home, being in nature, getting physical activity, and working towards a goal are all good for your mental health.

Of course, outdoor gardens are ideal, but container gardens or indoor plants can also be effective.

And if you don't have a green thumb, don't worry. Learning about plants is part of the process. You can find easy-to-care-for plants that suit your lifestyle.

And if you don't want to grow the plants yourself, just having plants around can be good for your emotional well-being. You don't necessarily have to be the caretaker.

In this week's episode, I explain why gardening is good for mental health and how to incorporate plants into a plan that supports your overall well-being.

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Editor's Note: This transcript is not our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors. Thank you.

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