Dave’s Diary: Dirt as Therapy–Can You Dig It?
Depression got you down…feeling a little blue? Here’s a prescription that many of our parents knew instinctively. Go out and get dirty – you’ll feel better! Dirt, earth, soil…healing terra firma! According to Bristol University researchers, getting your hands or feet in direct contact with soil can do wonders for our health and our moods. They say that good old dirt contains healthy micro-bacteria. When our skin comes in contact and absorbs some of those, it triggers the brain to start releasing some feel-good serotonin. Think back to the times when grandma repotted those plants or when grandpa worked in the garden, pushing the earth around…better than 55 minutes on a shrink’s couch for $125 an hour!
The study says you can go ahead and get any naked body part dirty – but -- working the dirt with your hands seems to be the most effective and therapeutic approach.
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