Lawn Care as Therapy: Why 48% of U.S. Homeowners See It as a Relaxing Hobby

Lawn care isn't just about turf; it’s about tranquility. A recent survey reveals that 48% of Americans see lawn care as a relaxing hobby, with many reporting mental and physical health benefits. In this blog, we explore why mowing, edging, and fertilizing are doing more than beautifying lawns; they’re boosting well-being.

🔗 Related Survey: Read the 2025 Golf Course Lawn State of U.S. Lawns Report

Lawn Care Statistics That Reveal the Bigger Picture

The 2025 lawn care statistics tell a clear story: Americans aren't just caring for grass, they’re caring for themselves.

Key stats from the State of U.S. Lawns 2025 survey:

• 48% say they find lawn care relaxing
  
• 31% say it is rewarding
  
• 17% say it’s their hobby or passion.
  
• Over half of homeowners say they prefer DIY lawn care over hiring professionals.

When nearly half the population sees mowing the lawn as a calming activity, that’s a clear sign that lawn care is doing more than improving curb appeal — it’s nourishing people’s well-being.

The Mental Health Benefits of Gardening and Lawn Work

You’ve probably felt it before; those quiet moments when you're mowing the lawn or pulling weeds and your mind just… slows down. No screens. No meetings. Just you, your lawn, and a quiet sense of focus.

That’s not a coincidence. There’s real science behind the mental health benefits of gardening and lawn care, and it’s one of the main reasons nearly half of Americans now see lawn care as a relaxing hobby. A 2017 meta-analysis published in the journal Preventive Medicine Reports reviewed 22 case studies and concluded that gardening was associated with reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as improvements in mood and quality of life.

A Natural Antidepressant

Working in your yard gets you outside and into the sunlight, which naturally boosts serotonin levels in the brain. This “feel-good” chemical is closely linked to mood stabilization, better sleep, and reduced anxiety.

Sunlight also helps regulate your circadian rhythm and improves sleep quality, essential for emotional resilience.

Plus, soil contains a friendly bacteria called Mycobacterium vaccae, which studies have shown can increase serotonin production and reduce depressive symptoms when inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Yes, getting your hands dirty may actually make you happier.

Gardening Promotes Mindfulness

Lawn work involves repetitive, physical tasks that naturally encourage mindful attention — a state of being fully present and engaged in the moment.

When you're edging a garden bed or mowing in clean lines, you're not thinking about tomorrow’s to-do list. You're paying attention to sound, motion, and rhythm. It’s what psychologists call a "flow state," and it's deeply calming.

These kinds of physical, low-pressure tasks help silence racing thoughts and offer a break from chronic stress.

Improves Self-Esteem and Purpose

Many people feel a sense of control and accomplishment from tending to their lawns. Watching the grass green up or flowers bloom reminds them that their efforts have real, visible results.

That connection between effort and outcome builds self-esteem, especially when other areas of life feel uncertain.

In fact, studies from organizations like the American Horticultural Society show that gardening can support people managing depression, grief, anxiety, or burnout by giving them a renewed sense of purpose.

Reduces Anxiety and Rumination

Rumination — constantly going over the same worries or thoughts — can fuel anxiety and depression. Lawn care interrupts that cycle by shifting your attention to the present and giving your hands something meaningful to do.

Moving your body, engaging with nature, and achieving small tasks (like fertilizing, seeding, or trimming) grounds you, physically and emotionally.

It’s Quiet Therapy — Without the Couch

You don’t have to talk through your problems or analyze your emotions. Being in nature, tending to something living, can be a powerful, low-pressure form of emotional release.

A growing field called horticultural therapy uses these same principles in clinical settings to help treat PTSD, dementia, and mood disorders.

So next time you’re out adjusting sprinkler heads or laying down a fresh pass with the mower, remind yourself: This is therapy. And it’s working.

Related: The 3 Biggest Lawn Care Barriers and How to Beat Them

Physical Benefits of Gardening: Is Lawn Care a Good Workout?

We often think of workouts as something that happens in a gym, with weights and treadmills, but if you've ever spent a few hours mowing, weeding, or edging your lawn, you already know that gardening and lawn care are real exercises.

Health professionals consider gardening a moderate-intensity physical activity, right up there with brisk walking or cycling. So the physical benefits of gardening go far beyond sore legs or a sweaty T-shirt. According to our survey results, about 50% of Americans work on their lawn once a week, and another 20% tend their lawns 2–3 times per week during peak season — that’s some serious calories burned and muscles toned!

Lawn Care Is Functional Fitness

Unlike isolated gym exercises, lawn care mimics real-world movements, such as lifting, bending, squatting, reaching, pushing, and pulling.

Here’s how common lawn tasks stack up physically:

*Calories vary based on body weight and effort level.

These repetitive motions improve mobility, stability, and strength, especially in the legs, glutes, and core. And because it involves moving in all directions (unlike walking on a treadmill), it's also great for balance and joint flexibility.

Gardening Is Good for Your Heart and Lungs

Gardening gets your heart rate up, which strengthens the cardiovascular system and improves aerobic fitness.

A study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people who engaged in regular gardening had a lower risk of heart attack or stroke, especially among adults over 60.

Lawn care also promotes deeper breathing, which increases oxygen flow and helps regulate the nervous system, key to managing stress and inflammation.

Builds Endurance Over Time

The best part about lawn care as exercise? You don’t need to “go hard.” Just staying consistent with your weekly mowing, trimming, and cleanup naturally builds physical endurance.

And unlike high-impact activities that can be tough on joints, gardening is low-impact and adaptable to all fitness levels.

Bonus: Because it's done outdoors, you're also getting the benefits of vitamin D, which supports bone health, immunity, and muscle function.

Physical Activity = Better Mental Clarity

Don’t forget, physical and mental health are deeply connected. Exercise releases endorphins, which improve mood, energy, and focus. That’s one reason why lawn care often leaves people feeling mentally refreshed, not just physically tired.

So, is gardening a good workout? Absolutely. It’s:

• A moderate-intensity activity that burns real calories
  
• Excellent for mobility and strength
  
• Gentle on joints, yet effective for heart health
  
• Great for mental clarity and emotional resilience.

And best of all? You get a better-looking lawn while getting in shape. Now that’s a win-win.

Keep Active All Year Round with Our Yearly Lawn Care Schedule

Happy Gardening: What Makes Lawn Care So Satisfying?

Whether it’s the smell of freshly cut grass, the hum of a mower on a Saturday morning, or the sight of an immaculate green carpet, lawn care is undeniably rewarding. For millions of people, it’s more than upkeep; it’s a restoration ritual.

But what is it about gardening and lawn care that brings such a sense of satisfaction? Why do so many of us come in from an afternoon of yard work feeling tired but happy, body aching but mood lifted?

Let’s break down the magic of happy gardening and why lawn care hits that sweet spot between productivity and peace.

Clear, Tangible Results

In our increasingly digital and often abstract world, lawn care is refreshingly concrete. You mow, and the grass is shorter. You fertilize, and it greens up. You water, and plants perk up.

Each task leads to a visible, measurable improvement, which satisfies our deep human desire to see the impact of our actions. There's instant gratification and long-term reward as the lawn evolves with the seasons.

That connection between input and outcome creates a profound sense of agency and control, especially during stressful or unpredictable times.

Task Completion = Mental Reward

Psychologists refer to this as the “completion effect.” When we finish a task, our brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with motivation and pleasure.

Lawn care offers dozens of mini-completions:

• Finishing a mowing pass
  
• Pulling weeds from a bed
  
• Trimming edges clean
  
• Filling bare spots with seed.

Each action checks a mental “done” box and adds to a broader feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.

It’s a Creative Outlet

Many people don’t realize how creative lawn care can be. From designing mowing patterns to experimenting with fertilizers, adjusting irrigation, or even choosing the right grass seed blend, you’re crafting a living landscape.

Like painting or music, gardening taps into the creative mind; it just uses chlorophyll and soil instead of brushes or instruments.

And for those who enjoy structure, the rhythm of lawn care provides a canvas of predictability within which creativity can thrive.

It Connects You to Nature

Spending time in your yard offers a direct and personal connection to the natural world — one many of us crave but rarely experience during a busy workweek. A study from the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise found that just five minutes of "green exercise" (including gardening) significantly reduced cortisol levels and improved mood.

You notice seasonal shifts, the return of pollinators, the smell of fresh rain, or even just the quiet hush of a windless afternoon. These subtle interactions create a sensory experience that grounds you in the present.

This connection to nature is part of what makes gardening and mental health so closely intertwined.

You’re Creating Order from Chaos

Let’s face it, life can be messy. But your lawn? That’s one place where you can restore order.

Tidying up overgrown edges, dethatching matted turf, or trimming back unruly growth offers immediate visual clarity, which translates into mental clarity, too.

Many lawn enthusiasts say the process is almost meditative. And science agrees: repetitive physical tasks with clear outcomes can reduce anxiety, increase focus, and boost overall well-being.

The Satisfaction is Both Personal and Shared

You might not be doing it for anyone else, but the benefits ripple outward. A healthy, attractive lawn can:

• Increase pride in your home
  
• Improve your neighborhood’s curb appeal.
  
• Spark friendly chats with neighbors
  
• Create a safer, more inviting space for kids, pets, and guests.

That mix of private satisfaction and communal contribution is a rare and powerful combo. It makes you feel connected to your space, your community, and yourself.

Related: How to Create Lawn Stripes

How Gardening and Lawn Care Reduce Stress

There’s strong evidence that spending time outdoors in nature reduces stress and lawn care amplifies that benefit through movement and routine.

Here’s how lawn care helps reduce stress:

1. Movement calms the nervous system
   
2. Sunlight boosts serotonin levels.
   
3. Focus on simple tasks quiets the mind.
   
4. Being outside improves sleep and circadian rhythms
   
5. Plants and green spaces reduce heart rate and blood pressure.

In a world of constant pings, alerts, and digital overwhelm, walking barefoot on your lawn or slowly watering flowerbeds offers a deep sense of calm.

Tips for Making Lawn Care More Relaxing

Lawn care can be one of the most grounding, satisfying activities of your week, but only if you approach it the right way.

If you’ve ever found yourself rushing through mowing to get it over with or stressing over patchy spots, you’re not alone. But lawn care doesn’t have to be a chore; it can be a form of self-care that leaves you feeling restored rather than exhausted.

Here are some simple but powerful tips to make your gardening and lawn care routine more relaxing, more mindful, and much more enjoyable.

Choose the Right Time of Day

Early mornings and late afternoons are the sweet spot for lawn care. These windows offer:

• Cooler temperatures
  
• Softer sunlight
  
• Quieter surroundings
  
• Fewer interruptions.

Working during these times helps you avoid heat stress and lets you focus on the moment, not just the task.

🌿 Bonus tip: Morning sun exposure helps regulate your circadian rhythm, boosting sleep quality and mood.

Set the Mood with Music or Nature Sounds

Turn your lawn care session into a sensory ritual. Try:

• A calming playlist or instrumental music
  
• A podcast that inspires or entertains you
  
• Or go unplugged and listen to birdsong, wind, and water.

Sound has a powerful effect on stress levels. Creating a soothing audio environment turns your outdoor time into a mini retreat.

Treat It Like “You” Time, Not a To-Do

Approach lawn care like a walk in nature or a yoga session. It’s not about perfection, it’s about presence.

• Don’t race through your mowing.
  
• Let yourself enjoy the process
  
• Focus on the movement, the smells, the sights.

This mindset shift can transform a basic task into a therapeutic practice.

Use Tools That Make the Job Easier (and Kinder to Your Body)

Ergonomic, high-quality tools make all the difference. Look for:

• Lightweight sprayers and spreaders
  
• A comfortable, well-balanced mower
  
• Tools with cushioned grips and adjustable handles
  
• Knee pads or a rolling garden seat for weeding.

The easier it is on your body, the more pleasant and sustainable your routine becomes.

Celebrate the Results (Even the Small Wins)

Don’t just move on after finishing a job — take a moment to appreciate what you’ve done.

• Snap a photo of your mowing lines.
  
• Sit outside with a cool drink and admire your work.
  
• Track your progress in a lawn journal or garden app
  
• Share a before-and-after shot with friends or lawn care groups.

Celebrating your work reinforces positive emotions and makes you look forward to the next session. It’s a key ingredient in happy gardening.

Use Lawn Care as a Mindful Escape

Finally, make lawn care your tech-free zone — a break from constant noise and stimulation. Turn off notifications. Leave your phone inside. Just be with the grass, the sky, and your own breath.

Even 30 minutes a week can help you:

• Reconnect with your body
  
• Soothe a racing mind
  
• Feel grounded and accomplished.

This is one of the most powerful therapeutic benefits of gardening, and it costs nothing but your time.

Related: 14 Essential Lawn Care Tools 

The Green Cure

Lawn care is no longer just a weekend chore. For nearly half of Americans, it’s a therapeutic ritual, a source of calm, and a reason to go outside and unplug.

The mental, physical, and emotional benefits of gardening as a hobby are well-documented. And with 48% saying they find peace in lawn care, it’s clear we’ve tapped into something deeper than just green grass.

So the next time you grab your mower or pull on your gloves, remember: You’re not just maintaining turf. You’re cultivating balance, strength, and a little bit of inner peace.