By Crystal Kwaw, Reporter
Omaha, Neb. – A UNO student and assistant manager of Earl Gray’s Gardening Center, Phillip Pearce, said he spends on average eight hours a day outdoors at his job. He said his love of plants began with his mom, who kept a garden as he was growing up. When he moved out, he took the family’s knowledge of plants with him.
He said they help his mental health; if he’s going through a bad time, it helps to have something to take care of. Now that it’s getting colder, Pearce said he’ll be spending less time outside.
“Just something about being a human in nature, having nature around you, I think it’s calming,” Pierce said.
Omaha is now in the season of less sunlight and shorter days. It’s a time when the Earth’s positioning to the sun can strike people’s moods through a temporary condition called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.
According to “Epidemiology, Etiology, and Natural Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder,” by Alan L. Miller, ND, the exact mechanics that bring about “the winter blues” are unknown. Also in this article, a 2005 study found that SAD occurs in 11 to 21 percent of Earth’s population to varying degrees, and it’s more common in women.
Researchers theorize certain genetic types are more prone. High levels of melatonin are found in those who suffer from poor sleep.
According to “Seasonal Depression” by Anderson and Weiner, symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include fatigue, excessive sleeping, isolation, irritability and an inability to concentrate. Light therapy is a popular treatment.
Dr. Ashley Blount, a counseling assistant professor at UNO, who specializes in wellness, said for some, it may be helpful to reframe the issue.
“It’s a time to look within and be introspective and focus your energy, but I think there’s little things that you can do in your own life.”
Blount said more people are staying isolated because of lockdowns, remote work and cold weather.
Despite the colder weather, Blount uses nature to help her clients.
“Just going on a walk; just stepping outside, I don’t think I’ve ever had a client come back saying, “I’m so mad I did that,”” Blount said.
According to an article titled, “The Nature Fix” by Kate Douglas, doctors in the Shetland Islands prescribe nature-based activities to help treat stress, mood disorders and heart disease.
Blount said getting outside engages a variety of hormones that leads to feeling better.
Pearce ranked going outside as his top tier treatment for stress. Next was bringing houseplants into any space, and the third ranking went to using artificial plants.
“With plants in general, some of them live, some of them don’t, so I try not to get too upset. Sometimes I’ve lost one that I’ve really liked. It’s just kind of the way it goes,” Pierce said.
When indoor plants have the same effect as going outdoors, needs more concrete research.
“This could all be in my head, but I think having a plant or two just makes me feel better about being inside,” said Blount.
“It probably is boosting my mood because for whatever the reason, it is having a placebo effect on me.”
Scholars think it has to do with human evolutionary dependence on plants, rivers and wildlife.
“It’s hard to keep a space open and free like nature can be or just being outside, because it’s just a little bit more freeing when it’s not human-made,” Blount said.
Pierce said he’s been in the gardening industry for ten years, and during the last year and a half, he saw a lot of growth in houseplant sales.
“Houseplants, if you have it in a spot where you can just sit and relax, I think that helps a lot,” Pierce said.
