Gardening can help with many challenges you may come across or feel day to day. It is a therapeutic distraction to your everyday life stresses. Studies show gardening can reduce mental health problems including depression and anxiety as well as being great for your wellbeing.
Surrounding Nature
Gardening allows you to be at one with nature, having a connection to the outdoor environment has a huge impact on reducing stress. Being outdoors helps to relax and overcome any overwhelming emotions. When it comes to spending time outside in the sunshine, it is not easy to resist, and an escape to the outdoors is your garden. Spend time sitting outside while planning your garden ideas and tasks to relax the mind.
Being in control and a sense of achievement
Being in control of your garden is great. While life can sometimes seem out of your control, gardening is a distraction and a mind focus. Gardening will stimulate your mental health and bring you positive wellbeing. Whether that is arranging plants in your beds and borders or choosing where you would like to hang your hanging basket, there is a satisfying sense of achievement when building up your outdoor space. Growing plants are a way of keeping your mind focused because it is an enjoyable responsibility. It is something you can always tend to and is a great accomplishment to see flowers blossom and fruit and vegetables ready to harvest.
Exercise is good for your health and wellbeing
Not only is gardening relaxing but also an afternoon spent on garden tasks is a great form of exercise without even realising. Whether you are lifting pots, digging up weeds or raking over your lawn. Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and even a negative mood. It is a great alternative to the gym, beneficial in both being outside and zero cost. You often use many muscles around the body which burn calories as well as increasing flexibility and strengthening your joints with plenty of movement.
Expressing and releasing emotions
As well as growing in your garden sometimes you need to be destructive to prevent plants over growing or beds becoming messy and keeping areas clean and tidy. If you feel upset or angry grab a tool and start on a gardening task. Dig up some soil or pull out some weeds. Expressing your emotion is important and expressing onto nature is a bonus, no judgement no worries.
