The relaxing qualities of nature make it an ideal escape for people dealing with the everyday stress of an urban lifestyle. Activities like gardening have many benefits such as reducing stress, encouraging positive thinking, and a creating a sense of fulfillment. The nature of gardening also extends to helping us psychologically, when it comes to dealing with life’s challenges.
Take the story of Barney,a man who developed a fondness for gardening early in his life, planting flower and vegetable beds from a young age. Later on, he married and had a wife, Charlie. Charlie suffered a life threatening condition and developed anorexia nervosa in 2016. Her condition made it difficult to enjoy life, much to Barney’s dismay.
Barney turned to gardening to cope with the difficulties, and eventually got his wife involved, too. They grew plants together; Charlie soon developed a desire for cooking, as well, and learned to create recipes from their harvests. The couple enjoyed gardening and cooking together, and their shared passions helped them through life’s challenges. The qualities of gardening likewise allowed Barney to really connect with his wife and to truly learn the values of caring and nurturing.
The Psychological Benefits of a Garden
Barney and Charlie are among the many people who benefitted from gardening and its healing qualities. Exposure to and connection with nature is, after all, important for our well-being, improving a person’spsychological and mental health.
Boosting your Mood
To further illustrate the point, let’s talk about flowers. Who doesn’t like receiving flowers? Women who receive flowers were reported to have a positive mood days later. Hospital patients who receive flowers also report feeling brighter and have improved memory. If flowers can bring this much positivity, imagine planting a garden full of them. Moreover, the physical act of planting releases dopamine and serotonin in the brain, making us happier and less prone to depression, stress, and anxiety. Gardening decreases cortisol levels, resulting in people feeling less stressed and more positive.
It’s never too late to experience nature at home by developing a green thumb. For added luxury, you can even consider professionally done landscape installations, whether you live in Park Cityor in Salt Lake City. These features, when added to your property, help you relax and feel at peace with your surroundings.
Improving Self-Esteem
Adolescents these days suffer from low self-esteem thanks to social media and comparing themselves with others. Taking a break from technology to reconnect with nature by, say, gardening, gives teens an opportunity to develop a sense of nurturing and caring for their surroundings. In turn, nurturing other things helps them develop a sense of caring for themselves, as well, and increases feelings of self-worth. Watching them grow is also a fulfilling experience that is a result of proper care.
Reduces Anxiety and Stress
Aside from giving us a mood booster, gardening can relieve anxiety and stress with the mere presence of plants. People in office spaces, for example, feel more relaxed after being exposed to plants. A study from the Journal of Health Psychology also reveals that
The story of Barney and Charlie shows how important it is to reconnect with what we love and nurture others the way gardeners nurture their plants. Life’s challenges can bring us down, but with the help of nature and its positive qualities, we remember to bounce back and learn what really matters: to grow from our challenges and learn fulfillment.