Whether you’re repotting a succulent on your balcony, weeding a flower bed, or planting cherry tomatoes, gardening can feel grounding and relaxing. It also happens to be one of the grandmacore hobbies that the internet loves these days.
It’s why many people on TikTok are talking about the benefits of gardening — a topic making its rounds with spring just around the corner. While there are plenty of obvious perks to be enjoyed, like savoring the sunshine and fresh air, getting your hands as dirty as possible can also have some lesser-known benefits.
Instead of putting on gloves to spare your manicure or using a tool to till the earth, many gardening pros suggest digging your hands directly into the soil. It’s a way to really connect with what you’re doing, but a post from @gardenary says that putting your hands in dirt can also alter your brain chemistry. In her comments, someone agreed, “I can confirm it. Gardening makes me so happy.”
In a Feb. 17 TikTok, creator @sadealexus_ suggested gardening as part of your 2026 wellness routine. Besides growing your own food and getting outside, she said “touching soil has been shown to release chemicals that boost your serotonin and reduce anxiety and stress.” Here’s what to know about getting down in the dirt.
It’s Time To Get Dirty
Not everyone needs to be convinced to grow flowers or water their plants, but this wellness hack is all about going one step further and actually digging in the dirt with your bare hands — no green thumb required. According to Emily Davenport, ATR-BC, LCAT, LPAT, a board-certified therapist, doing so taps into your primal need to be in touch with nature.
Even if you’re just repotting a plant in your apartment, it feels good to release your inhibitions and get your hands dirty. Suddenly, you aren’t just someone who works at a desk or stares at a screen, but a truly grounded person who’s touching something natural and real. You might have flashbacks to childhood when you played outside or simply enjoy the tactile sensation — and just like that your mood is a little bit brighter.
When you dig in the dirt, you get to see yourself making a difference in real time.
As Davenport says, touching dirt brings you into the present moment and puts you back in touch with your senses. Dirt is cold and has an earthy aroma, which can ground you in the same way the viral 5-4-3-2-1 technique does. Digging also activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the opposite of fight-or-flight. “When our parasympathetic nervous system is activated, our stress hormone, cortisol, decreases,” she tells Bustle. It’s why you might head back inside from your moment of zen in the garden feeling happy and calm.
Enjoying everything tending to a garden has to offer, whether you’re weeding or watering, gives you a moment to slow down and breathe. It’s nice to see some tangible progress, too. When you dig in the dirt, you get to see yourself making a difference in real time, and that feels satisfying. “So many of my clients spend their days doing invisible labor with no clear finish line,” Hillary Pilotto, MA, LCPC, a therapist, tells Bustle. “Gardening gives you a result you can see. Your nervous system registers ‘I did something and it worked,’ and that feeling is deeply regulating.” Seeing your plant potted and finished or a sprout grow from a seed can help you feel productive and accomplished.
On TikTok, many creators have mentioned that soil contains a bacterium called Mycobacterium Vaccae, which some early studies have linked to mood-related effects — which is where the claim that gardening “alters your brain chemeistry” comes from. “When people say gardening makes them feel better, it’s true,” Pilotto says. If nothing else, the takeaway is that it feels good to be as close to nature as possible.
It’s Time To Touch Some Dirt
If you live in an apartment or city, you can plant herbs on a balcony or have an array of pots in a sunny window that you tend to regularly. “You might also consider visiting your local botanical or community garden or nursery,” Davenport says. Sometimes there are plots you can help weed. Go there and dig to your heart’s content.
If you have a yard, starting your own garden or planting flowers and veggies in a raised bed could be your best way into this hobby. Remember, don’t wear gloves or use a tool when you dig. Instead, really get in there with your bare hands. Feel the dirt and smell the earth.
There’s another, less obvious way to touch dirt: pottery class. “Pottery is a highly sensory, soothing experience that helps people tune into their creativity and natural materials,” Davenport says. “Just like gardening, pottery is often considered a meditative and hands-on activity.” By getting your hands dirty regularly and letting the clay interact with your five senses, you might find that you feel calmer and more grounded, especially during stressful days.
Sources:
Emily Davenport, ATR-BC, LCAT, LPAT, board-certified art therapist, founder of Davenport Creative Arts Therapy
Hillary Pilotto, MA, LCPC, psychotherapist, founder of Better Balance Counseling
