If there’s one thing people have learned in recent years, it’s the value of being able to go outside. Whether you live in the middle of the woods or in a big city, stepping into the fresh air, finding some green space, and just getting out of the house can have a powerful effect on your mental health.
What can you do when your ability to go out is limited? You have to find a way to bring the great outdoors home. For a lot of people, that means gardening (https://www.bluezones.com/2022/06/7-benefits-of-gardening-and-yardwork-on-your-mental-health/#). Even if you don’t have a full yard of your own, just having a few flowers on your windowsill can add some color and brightness to your surroundings.
The benefits of gardening are well-documented. Many psychiatric hospitals have started making an active effort to include green spaces on their premises because they’ve been shown to have a calming effect, reducing stress and depression with their mere presence. Then there’s the more visceral joy of getting your hands dirty digging in the soil. Work hard enough, and gardening can even be a kind of exercise.
There are other tangible benefits as well. The popularity of growing your own vegetables has increased dramatically in recent years. Being able to eat fresh, healthy food that you’ve grown yourself that is high in nutrients and without any dangerous pesticides doesn’t just improve your physical health; it can be good for your mental well-being, too. For those without a full yard, you can still grow herbs in your kitchen or on a balcony.
Some people use gardening as a chance to get away from the world. It’s a place where they can enjoy solitude and an opportunity to think. For others, it’s a communal experience, a chance to connect with the other people living in the same area as you share gardening responsibilities. Either way, it’s helping you feel better.
Alongside all this, there’s the simple truth that planting a tiny seed and watching it grow into a tall and healthy plant comes with an unmatched sense of accomplishment. It’s an achievement that comes with pride in what you’ve done as well as all of those health benefits. It’s something you can do even when the rest of the world is terrible, and when it seems like there’s nothing else you can do to improve it.
