Did you know that the National Institute of Mental Health has described stressors as being heterogeneous? That means that the stressors can’t be narrowed down to one singular cause.
If you can’t pinpoint a single cause, it can be difficult to tackle stress. Luckily, there are plenty of calming activities that can reduce your overall stress and anxiety.
One of the best activities is gardening. But how exactly does tending a garden improve your mental health?
We’re here to fill you in! Keep reading below to learn about the benefits of growing your own home garden!
Soak Up the Sun
One of the best ways to calm your nerves is by gardening on a sunny day. Why? Well, sunlight will give you a healthy dose of vitamin D.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb and process calcium, which is essential for bone growth and strength. With a stronger body comes a stronger mind.
It’s also suspected that vitamin D helps regulate serotonin. That’s why vitamin D is often prescribed as a supplement to aid with depression and anxiety. By gardening daily under the sun, you’ll be able to build up your vitamin D levels and reap the benefits of this miracle vitamin!
Create a Calming Area
There’s a reason why people use audio of nature sounds when meditating. Being surrounded by nature is a great way to remove yourself from the stressors of your daily life.
In fact, relaxing in a garden beneath the sun is actually shown to lower one’s blood pressure. This makes it a great alternative if you’re not a fan of traditional calming techniques like meditation or yoga.
By building your garden, you’ll give yourself a place to spend time in at the end of the day. With a home garden, you can relax in a cozy corner of nature with a journal or good book and enjoy the peace that nature brings.
Build Confidence
Sure, activities like public speaking and managing a team are sure to develop confidence. However, gardening is just as good at building confidence, and it does it in a much subtler way.
Many people lament that they can’t grow anything. However, like any other skill, gardening requires practice and effort.
After your first growing season, you’re sure to notice that you’ve built a sense of pride and more confidence in your skills. Once you’ve successfully grown your first batch of veggies or flowering perennials, it’s hard not to feel confident in your abilities!
Better Develop Your Relationships
Many people find solace in gardening alone and enjoy the peace and quiet. However, growing a garden is also a great way to foster your relationships with others.
Gardening with friends and family members will give you the chance to work towards a common goal together. It gives you a welcoming environment to communicate with one another, without all the distractions and external pressures felt indoors.
It’s also a great way to build new relationships. If you’re new to gardening, this is the perfect opportunity to get involved in a gardening community. Seek out gardening clubs in your town, or check out one of the numerous online gardening communities available.
Strengthen Your Body
Physical and mental health are largely intertwined. Exercise is often recommended by doctors as a way to lower anxiety and combat depression. The better you feel physically, the better you’ll feel mentally.
Gardening is a very physical task. While it’s one of the best calming activities, it still requires a bit of muscle to get the job done. It’s even been touted as a good way to improve your cardiovascular health and strengthen your heart.
From pulling weeds to tilling soil, a lot of physical labor goes into gardening. This makes it a great way to strengthen your body, and it can also lead to better sleep. With better sleep and rest comes better mental health as well.
Inspire Creativity
Tending a garden is a great way to get the creative juices flowing in your brain. Of course, gardening requires plenty of logistical planning, but it’s not all so cut and dry.
Through gardening, you can develop a better sense of color theory, design, and overall aesthetic. As a gardener, you’ll have to carefully plan out where to grow your plants in order for them to not only thrive but add beauty to your lawn.
Building your garden also gives you the opportunity to seek outside inspiration. Whether you’re upcycling materials you already have or browsing beautiful garden pieces with expert decor representatives, there are so many ways to express yourself through your garden.
Produce Your Own Food
Let’s face it—many of us rely on prepackaged goods or fast food in a pinch. It’s an easy fix if you’re out of healthy food at home.
With a garden, you won’t have to rely on these easy substitutes as much. With a bounty of healthy veggies and fruits from your own garden, you’ll have the means to craft wholesome meals without dashing to the supermarket when you run out of fresh produce.
Healthier meals lead to a healthier body and mind. Your stress over overly processed foods will be alleviated through tending a garden.
Discovering Why Gardening Is One of the Best Calming Activities
It’s easy to hire a lawn professional to tend to your backyard. However, there’s an incredibly satisfying feeling that comes with cultivating your own gardening. It’s one of the perfect calming activities to unwind and ground yourself—literally!
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