Abraham
Maslow, a 20th century American psychologist, developed a classification system
of universal requirements for survival, also known as the hierarchy of needs.
This classifications system is often depicted as a pyramid with the most basic
needs of survival, the physiological needs, on the bottom, narrowing to
psychological needs and then self-fulfillment needs. The physiological needs
are those required to sustain life, they include items such as food, water,
shelter, sleep, and health. Physiological needs are universal and must be met
before needs further up the pyramid can be achieved[1].
If you have been to the grocery store lately, you have more
than likely seen empty shelves or limits on items in high demand. Among other
things, the COVID-19 pandemic has put our basic physiological needs in the
spotlight. As grocery stores struggle to keep up with food demands, many are
looking at ways to supplement their food supply by gardening.
Besides self-reliance, gardening has several health
benefits. Gardening acts as a natural stress reliever by lower cortisol (stress
hormone) levels and as a mood enhancer by increasing serotonin levels. Working
with the soil and caring for plants creates a calming effect that can be
rejuvenating[2]. Furthermore,
when we start to reap the benefits of the investment, the positive effects are
reinforced. There is a unique pride that comes with growing your own food and
reducing your reliance on others for survival.
Not only is gardening good for mental health, it is also
good for physical health. Three hours of moderate gardening is roughly
equivalent to an hour spent in the gym. Since access to gyms has been put on
hold, gardening is an excellent alternative. As a bonus, time spent in natural
sunlight triggers the body’s vitamin D production which aids in the reduction
of inflammation and in calcium absorption (needed for strong bones).[3]
If you are interested in starting a small garden (again, a
great way to pass the time at home), Texas A&M AgriLife has an online
introductory course, Gardening 101, to help guide you. This course is designed
to help develop and maintain a garden suited to each unique situation. The
course covers various topics including plant growth and development, soil,
water and plant nutrition, earth-kind landscaping, plant health, fruit and nut
plants, vegetable and herb gardening, and much more. If you are interested in taking this (or any
other available) online course, visit https://agrilifelearn.tamu.edu/
and select Plants and Garden. In addition to the garden course, you may be
interested in any one of the Food and Nutrition courses offered at the same
link. Shameless plug alert, if you follow the Rains County AgriLife Facebook
page, we recently shared an article on easy to grow vegetables.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact me, (903)
473-4580 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu.
If you have specific plant or soil questions, the Rains County Ag Agent,
Stephen Gowin, is happy to help. Follow
Rains County AgriLife on Facebook for additional information and upcoming
events.
[1]
McLeod, S. (2020). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Simply Psychology.
[2]
Paddock, C. (2007). Soil Bacteria Work in Similar Ways to Antidepressants.
Medical News Today.
[3]
Vitamin D. (2020). National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary
supplements.
