Downtime and the Pace of Ageing — Part 2

Sharing problems also reduces stress and worry. An experiment at the University of Southern California set out to test the well-known slogan ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. Participants were paired up and asked to make a speech while being taped by researchers. Prior to each speech, half of the participants were encouraged to discuss how they felt about public speaking. The remaining participants were told not to discuss their feelings. Stress levels were measured before, during and after experiments. Stress was significantly reduced in the participants who were able to vocalise how they felt and share their fears, worries and expectations.

Chapter 6: Downtime and the Pace of Ageing

Cortisol levels were also measured before, during and after each participant’s speech. Cortisol is a hormone that is a strong biomarker of stress levels. Levels were significantly lower in the ‘sharing’ pairs. When cortisol remains chronically elevated, it accelerates inflammation and cell ageing. So, the best way to beat stress is to share feelings – and sharing them with someone in the same situation yields the best results. This is because sharing a threatening situation with a person in a similar emotional state buffers individuals from experiencing the heightened levels of stress that typically accompany threat. Gardening is consistently reported as one of the most popular hobbies. It is an excellent tool for helping with stress management as it’s creative and requires considerable concentration, thus enhancing relaxation and well-being. Nothing slows us down like petunias and tomatoes. Spending time in nature reduces stress and results in a feeling of being in control. Engaging with a garden distracts from worries and stops us obsessing about problems. For generations, gardeners have known that planting, watering, weeding and all the beauty that emerges as a result is good for us. And science is catching on too. Numerous studies show that gardening improves physical and emotional well-being. Whether it’s a few plants on the windowsill, containers on a deck, beds and borders in the yard or a vegetable plot, gardens big and small can be incredibly beneficial for the gardener and others who share in the results. A recent review confirmed how gardening combines physical activity with social interaction and exposure to nature and sunlight. Sunlight lowers blood pressure as well as increasing vitamin D levels in the summer and the fruit and vegetables that are produced have a positive impact on diet. Working in the garden restores dexterity and strength, and the aerobic exercise that is involved can easily use the same number of calories as might be expended in a gym. Digging, raking and mowing are particularly calorie intense. The social interaction provided by communal and therapeutic garden projects for those with poor mental health can have remarkable health advantages. Furthermore, it has also been reported that the social benefits of such projects may delay the symptoms of dementia. Patients who are recovering from a heart attack or stroke find that exercise in a garden is more effective, enjoyable and sustainable for rehabilitation than therapy in formal exercise settings. Another recent paper analysed 22 major studies on gardening and health. Health outcomes for people who don’t participate in gardening were compared with those who do. The studies reported a significant positive effect for gardening in a wide range of health outcomes, such as reductions in depression, anxiety and body mass index, as well as increases in life satisfaction, quality of life and sense of community.

Chapter 6: Downtime and the Pace of Ageing

In a field experiment, the stress-relieving effects of gardening were tested by giving allotment gardeners a psychological task that put them under pressure. They were then randomly assigned to outdoor gardening or indoor reading, during which activity, stress hormones and mood were repeatedly measured. Gardening and reading each led to decreases in stress hormones and improved mood, but the degree of change was significantly more with gardening and improvements were sustained for longer, thereby providing experimental evidence that gardening promotes relief from acute stress and the benefits persist after the task ends.

In an experiment in clinically depressed adults, changes in the severity of depression and the ability to concentrate were measured during a 12-week therapeutic horticulture programme. Depression scores significantly improved during the gardening therapy and improvement was sustained after the study had ceased in three quarters of the cases. The improvement in symptoms of depression during the gardening therapy was driven by how much it captured the participant’s attention. In other words, depressed participants had to like what they were doing to reap the benefit.

The world of gardening offers something for everyone, so whatever your preference – from virtual tours of botanical gardens to nurturing house plants, from allotment gardening to planting a few small raised beds, the evidence strongly supports engagement with gardening as a means of destressing and improving mood.

There may also be a biological reason why getting dirty outdoors is good for us. One type of bacteria that is common in soil has been found to stimulate the production of a mood-lifting hormone. This may go some way to explain why working with soil makes us feel so happy. The bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, triggers release of serotonin, the chemical principally responsible for elevation in mood and decrease in anxiety. An illustration of how important serotonin is for mood is that many of the medications used to treat depression act through serotonin brain pathways.

Chapter 6: Downtime and the Pace of Ageing

Being surrounded by greenery makes life more manageable, even in urban environments. Given that the natural environment can enhance mental and physical health, governments are starting to regenerate urban environments to be greener and more in tune with nature. Regeneration of nature in the form of wildlife gardens, for example, doesn’t just benefit us – they encourage bugs, bees and birds, too. The environment benefits and the visible nature around us makes us feel less stressed. The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries coined the term shinrin-yoku, meaning ‘taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing’ and have embarked on a new programme of reforestation. Researchers in Japan conducted field experiments where subjects viewed either a forest or city area. Objective stress markers, including hormones, blood pressure, heart rate and other biomarkers of nervous system activity, were measured before and after walking and viewing. The forest environments lowered all stress markers significantly compared with walks in the city. Forests promoted lower levels of cortisol, whereas activity in the section of the nervous system which calms the heart rate and other body systems (parasympathetic) was enhanced. Conversely, activity in the section of the nervous system responsible for fight-or-flight responses (sympathetic) and stress reactions was reduced. All remarkably striking good news for forest walking and viewing. Worldwide, similar research on forests and human health has led to new programmes for urban forest development. The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) established in 1892, with headquarters in Austria, is a not-for-profit international network of forest scientists who meet every five years to promote global cooperation in forest-related research. The IUFRO, representing over 15,000 scientists, fosters cross-disciplinary dialogue between professionals in the fields of forestry and health, as well as promoting international efforts in ‘forests for bathing’, including in urban environments. Growing research in the potential of the natural environment to enhance health and well-being accentuates the underuse of this resource as a health promotion tool. How many times in a week do you eat alone? I am well aware that many of us have no choice but to eat alone. Let’s first review some of the implications and then solutions. Eating alone has many psychological and health disadvantages whereas sharing a meal with friends or family is a simple way to destress. One study measured the mealtime routines, challenges and preferences of people over 75 who lived by themselves. The biggest mealtime challenge was lack of the shared family experience, including lack of companionship. The preferences of these older persons was overwhelmingly to eat at least one meal a day with others. More than three-quarters of respondents said they wished their families shared more meals with them. One in five people over 75 are lonely when eating alone, three quarters eat alone most of the time and many people skip meals because they find eating alone too lonely. A majority eat more nutritiously and say food tastes better when eating with others. People spend more time eating when with others than when alone – on average 43 minutes compared with 22 minutes. A majority of older persons recalled that family mealtimes were important occasions for conversation and sharing when their children were younger. Seventy-eight per cent said they wished their families shared more meals together. Solo eating is not the exclusive domain of older persons. Nearly half of adults’ meals are eaten in front of the computer, in the car, on the go – or, in other words, alone.