It's National Growing for Wellbeing Week. Studies confirm that gardening is beneficial for our mental health and wellbeing. Gardening not only reduces stress and combats high blood pressure, but it can reduce mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
Gardening Connects us to Nature
There is no doubt that gardening connects us to nature. Spending time in the garden and with nature helps us to relax and de-stress. It helps us feel more at peace with ourselves, with our thoughts and with the world. Just by spending time in green space, helps us to overcome feelings of uncertainties that can make mental health worse.
Watching and having a living thing to care for, gives us a sense of worth and responsibility. Unlike people, plants don’t judge, they’re cared for and on our part keeping plants healthy give us a sense of pride – that we’re giving back to nature, which helps us with our confidence and self-esteem.
Gardening
Gardening releases endorphins that makes us feel good, satisfied and relaxed. 3-4 hours of gardening in one session is equivalent to an hour in the gym. Exercise if taken regularly is beneficial for a wide range of mental health issues and can help improve our lives in other areas also. Regular exercise can help promote better sleep, boost self-esteem and contributes to weight loss.
Gardening is Therapeutic
Gardening is also therapeutic. Taking a break through gardening can help us concentrate staying in the moment, working on the task in hand. It helps us to stay in control, deciding on how we want our garden to look. That can help spill into other areas of our life, where we’re not always organised or feel in control. (Source: capitalgardens.co.uk)
For many years gardening was a necessary chore, but I enjoy it more and more now. I enjoy being outside and definitely feel more relaxed after spending time in the garden.
We planted 2m high saplings in our garden about 27 years ago and they have grown to beautiful mature trees about 16m high, which bring wildlife into the garden and shade in the summer.
I feel we have put something back for the benefit of nature and in turn for our benefit too and it works.
Thanks. You absolutely have put something back. We must all put something back into nature. The garden is something we take for granted or don't think about.
And until mental health became a thing, I'm not sure how much attention was drawn to the garden, but there are definitely mental health benefits of being out in the fresh air, pottering around the garden.
I know the more we look after ourselves I think the more we will think draw attention to other aspects of mental health. If we can afford the price tag, gardening is something we give to someone else to do, not necessarily something we do ourselves.
But I do think we must think about it in the whole as we now do with other aspects of mental health.
Well, it isn't exactly gardening, but I have been doing some weed whacking and clipping the little trees down outside, which has been interesting.
The downside about living in the middle of the city is that even if you have the space, a garden isn't always an easy thing to put in, since you never know what's underneath the ground!
It's the first time I have lived in a house where you have to take care of those things yourself, or pay someone else a lot of money to do it, so instead I'm learning how to do these things.
I do already have the basic knowledge of what I need to do, but it often requires having the right tools, which I do know where to get.
Now if I can just avoid injuring myself, things will be great.
Thanks Randy. I would class it as gardening. I'm pleased you've had a go. Last week I did some weeding myself, never having done it before. It felt quite therapeutic.
My grandmother used to tell me gardening was good for mental health. When the weather gets better I'll definitely give it another go.
I hope you have another go Randy. I'd love to hear how you get on.