Gardening is one of the best ways to ground yourself with the earth. You are digging into the soil and connecting with nature.
Not only can gardening provide relaxation, focus and connection to the earth, but it also provides a vital source of mental health benefits. There’s something to be said about feeling life all around you—the warmth of the sun, the soil in your hands, the breeze blowing the clouds in the blue sky above you.
Connection
Manifesting a connection to the earth is ideal for creating a relationship with the world around you. Many people feel a deep sense of satisfaction and purpose when they harvest the food they have personally grown.
When we consume those foods, we feel an added connection to the earth because we have done the work to get the item from seed to table. An added benefit is knowing just where those foods came from and knowing they weren’t treated with harmful chemicals that could make you sick.
Physical Benefits
Moving your body regularly is an effective way to boost moods and decrease the risk of anxiety, depression and physical illness. Not only will gardening keep your body moving, tone your muscles and create endorphins, but it can also provide varied movements that require you to utilize multiple muscle groups and may mean fewer injuries from repetitive movements than you would get from gym equipment.
In addition to the outward physical aspects of gardening, your body can also find healing from the inside out. The foods you grow in a garden can be some of the freshest and healthiest foods available to you, and the types of foods you eat can have a significant impact on mental health.
Studies have shown that dietary changes can be an effective treatment for depression and anxiety. By consuming minimally processed whole foods —precisely the types of foods you would grow in your garden—you are feeding your body the nutrients it needs without all the added chemical fillers found in supermarket produce.
Community Gardening
If you live in an area where having your own garden space isn’t an option, joining a community garden project is always a great idea. Community gardens are shared spaces where many people grow plants in one large area or smaller individual plots.
You can search online for community gardens near you. If you’re just starting, a community garden will be a great place for you to ask questions and learn from experienced gardeners!
Research has shown invaluable benefits for health, reducing stress and promoting healing by immersing oneself in nature. Yale did a study about ecopsychology and the benefits it provides for mental well-being, and the results were robust. They found that two hours a week, even spread out over the week, was sufficient to improve mental, physical and emotional health.
Self-Care Year-Round
Gardening doesn’t have to be a seasonal activity; it can be something you do year-round. In the fall, you can harvest your summer bounty, as well as plant the leafy greens that tend to enjoy the occasional cold front.
In the coldest months of the year, you can tend to your indoor plants and trees, use a window to provide sunlight and try your hand at indoor gardening! With spring around the corner now, you can begin shopping for warm-weather crops and gear up to start digging in the dirt, sowing those seeds and spreading the soil around.
No matter your location, you can reap the benefits of gardening. The idea is to slow down, disconnect from the digital world and immerse yourself in the world around you. If you’re ready to give your health a boost with gardening, come visit us and let our knowledgeable staff assist you.
Ready to get your garden started? We have everything you need from fertilizer to garden tools.
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