Just 30 minutes in green spaces, walking through gardens or planting your own flowers, could have a positive effect on your mental health.
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That's the message BeyondBlue and the Garden Centres Association of Australia are promoting, and they're encouraging people to get involved in the fifth annual Garden ReLeaf day on Sunday.
The event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for BeyondBlue, which supports people struggling with depression.
Spot on Pots and Nursery in Delacombe will partner with community groups - including Backyard Bee Keeping and the Ballarat Community Garden - for a family-friendly day out this Sunday, with heaps of activities and competitions.
"At Spot on Pots and Nursery, we are working to create awareness not only of the health and wellbeing benefits of gardening, but also about the great variety of community groups in Ballarat that can assist people to achieve this," a spokesperson said, adding a percentage of plant sales on the day will be donated directly to BeyondBlue.
BrainSweet's Clare Linane, who helps teach lifestyle strategies to improve mental wellbeing, said gardening has a lot of benefits people may not know about, from more exercise to beneficial microbes, which can help as a lifestyle strategy to supplement other supports like medication.
She's a big fan of the strategy - gardening has helped her through tough times, particularly during cold winter months.
"Preliminary research on rats suggests that there is a bacterium in soil that may stimulate serotonin production. While there is a lot more research needed, it is hypothesised that gardeners inhale the bacteria as well as getting topical contact via a cut, for example," she said - more serotonin can
"Second, when we garden we expose ourselves to sunlight. Whilst we need to follow the Cancer Council's guidelines to protect our skin, we need some exposure for Vitamin D production. Studies to date provide some evidence linking vitamin D deficiency and depression.
"We also need exposure to the sun via our eyes. Sunlight hits our retina and then sends messages to regions of the brain that are linked to depression.
"Third, gardening can be used as mindfulness, (or) simply being totally in the present moment, not running around elsewhere in your head. Mindfulness has been proven to help overcome anxiety disorders.
"Finally, gardening involves moving - low intensity exercise sustained over time results in improved brain function."
She said the campaign's push to get 30 minutes a week is a good idea, but advised people should begin slowly.
"To improve your mental health, begin by making small changes in your behaviour, so that you can send the right messages to your brain," she explained.
"If getting out the garden once a week for 30 minutes is what you can manage, start there. If you can't manage 30 minutes, start with five minutes and build up."
To get involved with Garden ReLeaf Day, head to Spot on Pots and Nursery from 8am on Sunday.
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