Mental health isn’t just about not feeling blue, anxious or sad. It’s about being in the moment, feeling happy and hopeful about your future and those around you, and being comfortable with who you are. When it comes to maintaining a positive state of mind, researchers have found that there are simple activities that can greatly help you achieve this. Gardening has been proven to provide multiple benefits for your mental health, so why not try it out for yourself?
Reduce Stress And Anxiety
There are many mental health conditions that are caused by stress, such as depression and anxiety. If these conditions aren’t treated, they can lead to further issues, including relationship problems and a loss of productivity at work. Gardening can provide many stress-reducing benefits, which can help to lower anxiety and fight other mental health issues. For example, research has shown that gardening has a strong mood-boosting effect. This can help to reduce stress and anxiety, allowing you to feel more positive and relaxed. It can also help you to feel more connected to nature, reducing feelings of isolation.
Build Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is the belief you have in your own self-worth. This can be a difficult thing to maintain, but it is incredibly important for your mental health. Having low self-esteem can make you feel anxious, depressed and overly self-critical. When you have low self-esteem, you might also be reluctant to take part in social activities. This can lead to you missing out on meeting new people and forming bonds that can enrich your life and help you feel more connected. By regularly gardening, you can build your self-esteem. Research has shown that gardening can help to reduce self-criticism, enabling you to appreciate your own strengths and successes. Gardening can also help you to be more open to connecting with others. You can invite friends and family to join you in your garden, or join a community gardening session. You can also make new friends online through gardening forums and groups.
Help You Sleep Better
Having a good night’s sleep can be incredibly beneficial to your mental health. It can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, it can improve your self-esteem, and it can boost your productivity at work. By regularly gardening, you can help to improve your sleep quality. This is because gardening is a stress-reduction activity that can help to lower anxiety, and therefore also lower insomnia. Nocturnal gardeners, or those who garden at night, can reap these benefits even more. This is because plants emit CO2 and other gases during the day, which can increase CO2 in your indoor environment. By getting a good night’s sleep, you’ll be better equipped to handle stressful situations.
Strengthen Your Relationships
A healthy, supportive relationship with a partner or close friend can be incredibly beneficial to your mental health. By regularly spending time in each other’s company, you can learn more about one another, strengthen your trust in each other, and build lasting bonds. By gardening with a loved one, you can build on these benefits even more. Gardening is a social activity, so you’ll be spending time with your loved one, getting to know them better. This can help you to strengthen existing relationships, and cultivate new ones. And by spending time in each other’s company, you’ll be strengthening your trust in each other. You’ll also be creating a shared experience that can develop your relationship even more.
Conclusion
Gardening can be a great way to improve your mental health. It can help to reduce stress and anxiety by providing a low-intensity activity that is easy to fit into your daily life. It can also help you to build self-esteem, improve your sleep quality, and strengthen your relationships. If you’re interested in trying out gardening to improve your mental health, there are many things to consider; all of which we can assist you with at David Fairley Gardens. If you enjoy gardening, then there is no doubt that you will feel more relaxed, sleep more soundly, have a better self-esteem, and build better relationships with others.