After taking a vacation in March 2020 (I was a publicist and social media manager), I was very concerned about what was ahead of me. On one of my lowest days, my fiancé persuaded me to go outside with him and build a garden in the back yard of our home in Woodbury, New Jersey.
We planned out the beds and filled them with compost soil. I noticed that as we worked, fear of my job made me less and less paralyzed. Day after day, I looked forward to our gardening work. It allowed me to be creative. I enjoyed it.
And it turns out that if I spend some time with plants, I’m not alone in finding therapeutic benefits.
Haley Neidich, a St. Petersburg, Florida-based licensed clinical social worker, has recommended gardening to her clients for years. It can be a powerful self-care tool, she says. “We are so used to multitasking and we are completely connected in everyday life. Gardening requires that we only ever concentrate on one thing and that we are fully present at the moment, ”says Neidich.
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This is known as the “flow” state and occurs during meditation or mindfulness practice. It is when you are feeling busy with what you are doing and making progress in general (this doesn’t necessarily mean what you are doing is particularly difficult, but it keeps your attention and interest) so psychological Research. Gardening can get you in a fluent state, says Neidich, which is generally very good for mental health and wellbeing.
Gardening can also help some people deal with difficult emotions, says Neidich.
This could explain the range of feelings I felt when I took up the hobby. My fear was in full swing, possibly due to losing my job, and I initially doubted my ability to grow tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini. But when I saw my first bean sprout, I was ecstatic, like this bean was a reminder that I could deal with uncertainty. I felt the fear go away as I traveled to that first sprout, and when I knew I had grown my cherry tomatoes, they tasted even sweeter.
Research shows that gardening is good for wellbeing
Paul Camic, PhD, professor of psychology at Canterbury Christ Church University and University College London, has conducted several studies, all of which show that horticultural activities can indeed bring about mental health benefits.
In an overview study, Dr. Camic concluded that including gardening in a treatment plan for depression has been linked to benefits for emotional, social, professional, physical, and mental well-being in several studies. Gardening also relieved people’s symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to this study.
In a 2015 study published in the journal Ecopsychology, Camic researchers showed that community gardens promote community connection and self-reported well-being among participants.
“[The data showed that] Gardening provided a space of its own, a meaningful activity, an increased sense of connectedness, and improved physical and mental health, ”says Camic. Unsurprisingly, Camic is now that people are going to the garden during a global pandemic, considering that wellbeing (especially the kind associated with meaning and purpose in life) for people who start gardening is significant is higher, he says.
Other research suggests gardening helps relieve acute stress and negative mood. And a 2015 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that staying near green spaces or plants for just 40 seconds can help improve mood and focus afterward.
Think of every time you spend in a garden or green space as an opportunity for a mental reset.
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A seasonal activity can definitely still be a year-round self-care practice
While gardening is a seasonal activity, for me it has been a year-round, self-care practice. In the fall, I could enjoy harvesting my summer premium and planting foliar products that love the occasional cold blast. During the coldest months of the year, I tended to my collection of indoor tropical trees. I bought way too many potted plants around the house and took pride in helping my violin leaf fig and gum tree weather the sub-freezing winter temperatures.
I’m just starting out shopping for the warmer weather months of gardening and looking forward to digging dirt, sowing seeds, and spreading soil.
Gardening has given me a new purpose; It grounded it during a year of upheaval and uncertainty.
How to start your own gardening self-care habit
Neidich says you can take advantage of gardening no matter where you live, how big the garden you have access to, or even if you don’t have access to your own outdoor garden. “There are psychological benefits to looking after indoor plants or going outside to appreciate someone else’s garden. The idea is to slow down, disconnect from devices, and focus all of your energy on the task at hand, ”she says.
If you’re looking to test your green thumb, here are three easy ways to get started: Bridget Bueche, an organic farming consultant and former professional cook based in Newport Beach, California.
- Start with what you love. If you don’t know what to grow, start with the foods you love to eat, Bueche recommends. It’ll get you more ready to take care of your plants, she says. “And will make the finished product more rewarding.” If you want to start with something that is easy for beginners to grow, try radishes, parsley, chives, cilantro, basil, lettuce, snow peapod, or zucchini, says Bueche.
- Dig into a good foundation. “Healthy, clean and nutrient-rich soil is the key to great success in planting,” says Bueche. Different types of plants thrive in different soils. Learn a little about the soil you are digging in or, if it is a potted or indoor garden, what type of soil is best for the plant you are planning to grow. Some plants are best for drier soils, while others like to stay moist all the time. Also, when choosing outdoor areas, consider drainage and exposure to sunlight. Ask questions at your local gardening store or kindergarten.
- Use an app. Learn more about what you are planting with a gardening app like Planta that gives insight into each and every plant. “Your cell phone can be a great gardening tool. Set your alarm clock to remind you when to water, ”says Bueche.
