I’ve always known that digging in the garden for a bit makes me feel good, but there might actually be some science behind that beyond the normal sense of well-being that goes along with any kind of productive work. Yeah, its nice to know that the dirt on my hands will someday lead to some free fresh veggies, but what could be more important to the brain’s chemical response is some of the bacteria living there in the ground.

Apparently, mice who have been exposed to this bacteria can solve mazes faster and show fewer signs of stress when they’re doing it.

I know for certain that when I’ve had a stressful day and I’ve run out of things to write, just a few minutes digging up weeds can help me relax and focus on brainstorming new ideas.

We don’t have any kids yet, but when we do, I imagine that they’ll have a lot more freedom to do things that would have gotten me in to trouble – especially when it comes to digging in the dirt. I’m definitely not looking forward to cleaning up after them, but I’m just as much looking forward to enjoying the games!