Seeds of change for your mind and body
Enjoy the benefits of being outdoors... fresh air, fresh food, a fresh take on life and a brighter, better and healthier you!
GARDENING is good for our health.And not just from being outside, enjoying sunshine, fresh air and physical exercise. Spending time with nature reduces stress and makes you feel more energised and able to think more clearly. Many people who suffer from anxiety or depression have found gardening and caring for plants beneficial.
GREEN GOODNESS
Let’s face it – good mental health makes for positive life experiences.And if there’s something we can do to keep ourselves well, then it’s definitely worth our time. Many people believe gardening makes us feel good because it’s both a physical exercise, which releases endorphins, and also a creative art that allows us to express ourselves.
Gardening is also a way of caring for something. The satisfaction of keeping plants alive, and the responsibility that comes with it, helps give us a sense of purpose and pride. Studies have also shown that humans are instinctively more at ease and relaxed within a natural environment.
PLANT TO PLATE
While your mental health will be boosted by the physical act of gardening, you can also benefit from the harvested products.And almost no space is too small to get started, where you’ve a patio, alley garden (think side return with plants) or even just a window box, transforming it into a green haven is incredibly rewarding. These small spaces can be used to grow herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, chives and mint, which can be harvested and added to your meals. If you only have containers or hanging baskets to grow in, opt for strawberries, tomatoes or carrots to make the most of your space. Even in a small space you’ll reap the rewards.There’s something fascinating and fulfilling about eating produce you have grown yourself.
SHARING IS CARING
One of the first steps to mental well-being is to make connections with the people around you.This could be your friends and family, colleagues, or people in the local community. Having a social network, in which you feel close to others, is great for mental health. It can be a source of positive feelings and support through difficult times.
Gardening is a brilliant way to develop connections with other people. If you really don’t have anywhere you can garden at home, or it’s the social side of gardening you’re after, join a local community gardening group or find an allotment plot.
There may even be a local piece of disused land that you can get permission to turn into a lush, thriving garden.The sense of achievement is second to none.
GET PHYSICAL
Physical exercise is known to have significant mental health benefits. Studies
show that even short bursts of activity can increase our alertness, energy and mood. Frequent exercise can increase self-esteem, as well as reducing stress and anxiety levels.
To improve and sustain your mental health, get out there and move your body. Twisting, stretching, lifting and walking are all ways that you move your body when gardening.
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
For good mental health, it is important to be present in the moment and appreciate the little things in life.
Take note of the beautiful sights, unusual sounds and delicate fragrances in your new outdoor environment. Plus, really savouring the taste of your food has also been shown
to have positive effects on your mental health. Focusing on things in the moment encourages you to step away from daily stresses and stop worrying about things beyond your control. It crucially breaks the cycle of negative thoughts, replacing them with positive ones.
Notice the dew droplets on the perfect spider’s web strung across your garden gate, or take in the delicate fragrance of honeysuckle on a summer’s evening. Perhaps it’s savouring the taste of an apple fresh from the tree; gardening offers us elements of beauty and intrigue as we immerse ourselves in nature.
HAPPINESS FROM HOUSEPLANTS
If you feel a little daunted by gardening, why not try an indoor houseplant first? Having a houseplant can help to make you feel calm, as well as being a great aesthetic addition to your home. Most houseplants are quite low maintenance, so it’s easy to learn how to look after them.Watering and feeding your indoor plants like Philodendron cordatum (heartleaf philodendron) or Epipremnum aureum (devil’s ivy) regularly (MiracleGro® Pump & Feed All Purpose is ideal) will keep them thriving and will get you into a good routine.Watching them grow and seeing new foliage unfurl is guaranteed to make you smile. Propagating indoor and outdoor plants is a great way of increasing your stock of plants, as well as being great to gift to friends and loved ones.
As well as being a new plant for the recipient to care for and nurture, it will have added sentimental value too.This spreads the love of gardening, whilst also helping to form and forge connections with people, which in turn has a positive effect on mental health. Gardening and spending time with nature has the power to improve mental health.Whether that is through making social connections in the local community garden or taking notice of the little things in a natural space.