GROW SOMETHING

For a feel-good factor these holidays, time in the garden is top of the list for highly scientific reasons. There is a bacterium in soil, Mycobacterium vaccae, which is a kind of natural antidepressant. Get your hands in the earth and it actually increases serotonin levels leaving you feeling happier and more relaxed. Whatsmore, you get a dopamine hit from harvesting something you have grown. It’s the same neurochemical triggered by giving a gift, so double the dose by growing herbs in pots for Christmas. They make fantastic presents.