The oft-used phrase "stop and smell the roses" is a reminder to count our blessings every day (cue Mac Davis 😜). However, I prefer "crouch and smell the soil".
OK, that comes across as odd, but there is something about literally grounding myself in gardening when the stress levels are high. Sticking my hands in freshly tilled soil is rewarding when I find worms, pill bugs and other tiny creatures often overlooked when I am standing up.
Cupping a pile of soil in my hand and smelling it does something that is hard to describe. Almost instantly, I feel a lot calmer.
So, what’s so therapeutic about crouching and smelling soil? Well, there is science to back up the notion that getting your hands dirty and literally smelling the soil can help reduce stress and possiblly improve one’s immune system.
The microbiome in soil contains Mycobacterium vaccae, which feeds on decaying organic material. Researchers have been studying how M. vaccae, which makes an anti-inflammatory fatty acid that might help reduce stress, could potentially help stressed out humans. Check out this article in MedicalNewsToday.
When I started this post, I didn’t expect to go down the rabbit hole and wend my way through articles and research about the benefits of smelling soil. Frankly, I knew the old axiom that it is good for children to “play in the dirt” because it will strengthen their immune system.
The inverse is also true, there are other microbes, bacterium and little critters that don’t take well to human ingestion, so don’t rush out to mix up a batch of backyard tea. And if you use chemicals for fertilizing and weed control, the compounds in those products could really make you ill.
I’m thrilled to think that M. vaccae might strengthen our human microbiomes, but I am not sure a 30-minute infomercial on late-night television with an over-hyped host pitching a $55 bottle of soil; bacteria will ease my stress.
Rather, I think a more holistic approach is necessary. I won’t belabor the factors that contribute to the current levels of stress on our lives, but I know they aren’t easily tempered as many of us are still under stay-at-home orders. So, what is one to do?
Binge-watching TV shows on Netflix, alcohol, drugs and the other vices can easily fill the void. Where people view them as ways to reduce their anxiety, they may actually contribute to more stress as other issues emerge from excessive use.
Maybe, venturing outside, crouching down and “playing in the dirt” is what we need to ease the tension in our lives. Just the thought that exposure to M. vaccae might help my microbiome is nice, but I derive more stress-reducing pleasure tilling the soil, planting seeds, tending to the plants as they grow and harvesting the results. To me, the journey is the real therapy and this weekend I plan to be in therapy for quite a few hours.
Note: There are a lot of articles and research papers out there about soil microbiomes and our health. However, my favorite article appeared in Quartz in 2017. It was written by Zoë Schlanger and is available here: https://qz.com/993258/dirt-has-a-microbiome-and-it-may-double-as-an-antidepressant/
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