Credit: Pexels/ Karolina Grabowska
Roses are red, violets are blue, in need to destress, but what can you do? To a busy mother, stress is like the annoying neighbor that keeps on knocking on your door: you don’t want it, you don’t like it, yet it keeps on bothering until you begrudgingly have to open your house door.
Trying to find some zen in an often busy and rowdy environment can be difficult, but what if there was an antidote? Enter: the sunlight, the soil, and the blooming flowers.
No matter how big or small your home may be, how tight or busy your schedule can be, here are the reasons why gardening can serve as a great remedy for stress relief.
Why It’s Important
Gardening: cheaper than therapy– and you get free tomatoes! All jokes aside, gardening as a hobby has been psychologically proven to decline stress and restore a positive mood. According to an article by Forbes magazine, one study has shown that engaging in gardening can improve a person’s mental health by distracting a person from their worries and impeding them from overthinking. By the time the study began, participants previously diagnosed with depression immediately reported improvements in their mental health and had even gone so far as to report additional improvements three months after the study’s conclusion. Likewise, Japanese researchers have announced that taking in nature can help reduce cortisol levels, which is the human body’s stress hormone. Meanwhile, other researchers have noted that taking in sunlight while gardening can help reduce Seasonal Affective Disorder and provide an influx of vitamin D.
In addition to health benefits, gardening can offer important life lessons. By having to get in touch with nature, one is reminded to be more mindful about oneself and their lifestyle.
Just as growing a plant requires time, gardening can compel a person to be patient both with themselves and the outside world
Meanwhile, gardening can also serve as a great pastime between mothers and children. Aside from the educational or creative benefits that gardening may offer a child, the positive memories provided from this experience can also help strengthen a parent’s bond with their child.
How You Should Do It
You do not have to be an expert in gardening. What is most important is to be realistic about how much time and effort you’re willing to put in.
For beginners, it is always important to start slow and small. If you’re intimidated by growing crops, taking care of a potted plant also counts! To those who happen to live in urban areas, taking care of indoor houseplants can be preferable.
As for those who have the time and space to begin out of scratch, do your research.
First: decide what you’d like to grow in your garden. Second: plan your garden beds. Third: buy basic gardening tools and soil. If bugs happen to infest your plants or home, do not hesitate to ask for help. For example, to those who live on the east coast, consider ant control in New Jersey.
Finally, and most importantly, have fun! The point of gardening is to acquire some stress relief, so don’t forget to sit down and smell the roses!
Kori
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