The Benefits Of Playing In The Dirt

As a young child, I remember sitting in a mud puddle and coating every inch of my body with warm, wet mud. I would let it dry and then chip it off of my skin bit by bit. It's hard to say how long I actually sat in the mud puddle and treated myself to a mud spa. Little did I know, I was practicing mindfullness while feeling the texture and heat of the mud all the while building a robust immune system. I can almost feel how the sun felt on my skin as I did this even as I write this post.

The other funny thing about being a kid, is how much imagination is thriving in those little minds. When outside, one can let their mind wander off into total imagination, if they allow it. Kids are great at this. They play in the dirt with sticks as if they're the world's largest pencil and the dirt is their latest masterpiece. There are so many benefits nature can give us, we just have to be willing to take the time to go out and take advantage of them.

Boost The Immune System

Science shows us that regular exposure to bacteria in dirt can actually boost our body's ability to stay healthy. By never exposing your body to dirt and other daily allergens, we actually let our body down by never allowing it to practice keeping us healthy and learning which parts of our daily contact to ignore. Regular exposure to pollens and microorganisms in the environment help your body learn to disregard some of what is found in nature that will not cause harm to us.

Nature can do so much more than condition our bodies; it also contains helpful microbes that actually play a direct role in keeping us healthy.  Everyone has probably heard of the winter blues. Science indicates that soil can have positive affects on anxiety, post tramatic stress disorder, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar, Chron's disease, rheumatoid arthritis. Maybe there is more than just the lack of sun involved with the winter blues. The positive affect bacteria can have against these ailments can last up to three weeks and during the winter in Iowa, we don't have the luxury of getting out in nature to get down and dirty!

Nature's Benefits On Mental Health

I have always found sitting in my garden weeding to be one of the best parts of my summer days. There is something calming and incredibly peaceful about sitting in the soil, plucking weeds away from the plants that will soon nourish my body. I listen to the birds sing and appreciate the simplistic moments spent in my garden unplugged from the troubles of society and bothersome phone and other technology and demands my life is full of. By gaining exposure to certain bacteria in nature, specifically ones found in soil, studies are showing us that chemical changes take place in the brain that affect mood and cognitive functioning. No wonder I find myself so happy in my garden!

Reduce Your Stress

Today's society brings plenty of daily stress to nearly everyone I know, including myself. Stress can have serious negative affects on one's well-being, including happiness, physical and mental health issues. I could go on and on about how stress is a daily enemy to us, but that's a topic for another day! Scientists have discovered that an anti-inflammatory fatty acid is found in soil that can put up a shield against stress. This is called Mycobacterium vaccae. This is just one more great reason to get you and your family outdoors for some quality time! Our favorite things to do together include hiking, biking, camping, gardening...and, since we have a little boy, of course we love just playing in the dirt!

I Challenge You To Get Into Nature

I challenge you, regardless of age, to go out and find something fun to do in nature. Go explore a state park nearby, call a friend to meet in the park for lunch or choose something from the list of ideas below. Feel free to leave comments with your ideas, describe your experience or tell us your favorite part of nature.

• Photograph an insect
• Photograph a plant
• Draw a picture in the dirt
• Plant an herb garden
• Search for edible plants
• Go for a bicycle ride

• Lay in the grass
• Sketch something you find in nature
• Plant a flower
• Go for a hike
• Bury a time capsule
• Go fishing

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Sources

https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/is-dirt-the-new-prozac

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325357

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/antidepressant-microbes-soil.htm

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190529094003.htm

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