Hacker News Reader

Comment by jrace | Hacker News Reader

>I cannot say exactly how nature exerts its calming and organizing effects on our brains, but I have seen in my patients the restorative and healing powers of nature and gardens, even for those who are deeply disabled neurologically. In many cases, gardens and nature are more powerful than any medication. ---

I have witnessed this with my wife who's neurological disorder causes her to be in a "fright or flight" state virtually all day every day.

When she is either planning the garden, tending to the garden or just enjoying the garden I can see a reduced level of stress and increased ability to focus and multitask. All things which are very difficult outside of the garden.

View on HN

That's great to hear. I think being in a place where you can see seasonal change also has a calming and humbling effect. The wisteria in the springtime, the beautiful colors of the leaves in autumn - being around those changes in your natural habitat can be destressing and comforting, as they show that life and the natural world still goes on around you.

Not only is it visually pleasing, as an escape fro our usual concrete-filled world (probably because we evolved living in nature), but without doing any research to look up studies I feel like the reduced stress might also come from the smell (pheromones).

Very likely.

As well I think it empowers her and gives her some semblance of control.

Combined with the satisfaction of taking an idea and seeing it through, and then having that idea grow beyond what you originally intended.

We are planning our new home around the ability to construct and maintain a years-long garden project.

It goes deep in our psyche. In 101 Principles Of Design they mention a hospital that put up photos of bamboo trees in their hallways, so that it feels like you’re walking through a forest, because of the calming effect it has on patients. Photos of trees, not even real trees.

That sounds like you'd need a portable garden. (Whether that still works is another question.)

I've seen people talk about car plants, which would be a similar idea. (The feasibility depends a lot on climate of course.) And then of course there are many houseplants enthusiasts, it seems easy to develop some kind of addiction when stressed or mentally not well. Plants everywhere!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com