Cleanliness is Close to Godliness…
Or something like that.
Many of us grew up hearing the old saying, and plenty of moms across the country spend countless hours maintaining clean homes (and trying desperately to maintain clean children).
Who has time for dirt?
Dust, dirt, debris, grime, sand, snot, slime, grass stains, splinters, mud… It’s all inconvenient at best, and we haven’t even gotten into the germs side of the discussion yet.
Our lives - especially our technology - owes so much to advances in our understanding of cleanliness. Clean water is one of the biggest reasons we’ve made it where we are as a technologically advanced society. Cleanliness isn’t just an aesthetic; it’s a global health asset.
But what if we’ve gotten a little too good at eliminating dirt from our lives?
Happiness is “Dirty.”
In 2021, Seeds of Life owners Julie & Matt Roth walked into a ballroom dance studio for their first lesson.
When you look at the Roths, they’re a handsome couple! Tall, tan skinned from plenty of time under the Florida sun, smile lines decorating their eyes from thousands (probably millions) of memories made with their loved ones, clad in breathable company shirts, thick denim jeans, and most importantly, work boots with a layer of dirt that never truly leaves the bottom. In a pristine dance studio, they create an interesting aesthetic juxtaposition.
The couple eventually traded their work boots for dance shoes when they’re in the studio or at a party, but those dirty work boots are just as much a part of who they are as the dance shoes (and we never want them to change!).
Is Matt over the moon when he’s holding Julie in a foxtrot? Undoubtedly.
Do Julie’s eyes sparkle whenever Matt leads her in a dip? Beautifully so.
Is Matt also at his happiest when he’s elbow deep in greenhouse compost? For certain.
Does Julie cherish her life’s work in the garden and on the farm? You bet.
The Roths are some of the happiest, most fulfilled and grateful people you’ll ever meet.
The same idea rings true for ourselves and our kids.
We’re happy when we’re out to dinner with loved ones, or curled up on the couch on a rainy day. We’re also at our happiest when we’re walking in nature, swimming in the ocean, or scraping our knees from playing as kids.
If you talk to any doctor or health professional, they’ll give you the same advice for lifelong wellness: have a balanced diet, drink your water, get some exercise in with movement you enjoy, and get outside!
Touch some grass, feel the sun on your skin (use your SPF), and yes, get a little dirty from time to time.
It’s Science
General cleanliness is extremely important for us as a society, but interacting with our natural environment is equally as important to our health.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is the micronutrient responsible for helping our bodies absorb calcium, magnesium, and phosphates. It’s an extremely important middle man in our bodies, especially when it comes to our bones. Even if you have enough calcium in your diet, your body can’t do much with it until you have the right amount of Vitamin D to go with the calcium. Vitamin D also plays a key role in our immune system health and our brain function.
Like most of our body’s necessary nutrients, we get Vitamin D through our diet. Fortified foods, like milk, as well as eggs and fatty fish are great ways to up your intake of Vitamin D.
But, our bodies are more like plants than we realize: as little as 10 minutes of sun exposure to our skin a few times a week is enough to help us generate natural Vitamin D. It’s a whole process! The short version is the UVB rays from sunlight are powerful enough to change a cholesterol compound when they hit our skin. That cholesterol compound becomes a usable form of Vitamin D3.
Sunscreen blocks UVB rays, so people who use sunscreen (we hope that includes you because skin cancer is no fun) generally need more time in the sun in order for that Vitamin D conversion to take place.
It’s not photosynthesis... but it’s the human version, and it’s still pretty cool!
Exposure Therapy: Microbes & Microbiomes
Every time you encounter a germ, your immune system’s job is to assess its threat, neutralize it if needed, and then log it for future reference. Our immune systems are functionally comprehensive biological databases unique to our bodies. They remember microbial threats you’ve conquered, so they can mount the proper and proactive responses when you encounter those germs again in the future. In some cases, they get so good at neutralizing harmful viruses and bacteria that you become immune! (This is why vaccines are so important.)
Where do we find germs? Everywhere, but especially in nature!
The more exposure we get to germs, even harmless ones, the better shape our immune systems maintain. Think of the immune system as a muscle. The more often you train your muscles, the stronger, more flexible, and responsive they are to stress.
The germs we expose ourselves to by getting dirt under our nails, the occasional cut or scrape, swimming in natural bodies of water, or from yard work activities like cutting the grass are a gym for our immune systems to train in. An immune system that’s regularly neutralizing and logging germs is an immune system in good shape!
Creativity, Mindfulness, and Inner Peace
Whether you’re a kid playing pretend or an adult out and about on a walk, time away from technology and work is one of the best things we do for our health and wellbeing.
Quiet time in nature helps lower our cortisol (a stress hormone), and when we’re relaxed, we do what humans do best: we create. Imagination is the playground of humanity, and it’s so important to flex our mental muscles just as much as we flex our literal muscles. The best part? It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Let’s take a common vacation activity: going to the beach. You get your Vitamin D, you go for walks on the shore, you swim, and you might even build a sand castle! Simply by being out in nature, you instinctively engage with movement, exercise, sunlight, creativity, and yes, also dirt. And still, you feel relaxed. That’s the whole point of vacation, after all!
Getting Dirty is Easy.
But if it seems a bit daunting, here are some super accessible activities you can try to get (tastefully) dirty. Which ones will you try this week?
- Go for a walk; bonus points if you find a nature trail!
- Spend some time doing yardwork (hey, at least it’s good for you)
- Garden at home, or contribute to a community garden
- Take a book to a scenic spot and read
- Go for a swim
- Try fishing (fish responsibly and take note of local laws)
- Have a picnic
- Work out outside
- Climb a tree, roll down a hill, or jump into a pile of leaves (you’re never too old to play like a kid)
- Go to a park (when’s the last time you sat on a swing or went down a slide?)
- Pick up trash along a stretch of road or at a park; do wear gloves for this!
- Ride a bike… or scooter… or rollerblades… whatever works for you!
What are you waiting for? Go get dirty!