How Spending Time In Nature & Gardening Positively Impacts Mental Health

Hey Guys, 
I hope everyone is doing well.

For today, I just want to talk a little about how spending time outside in nature and spending time in your garden can have a positive impact on our mental health.

Life is tough right now there are so many things out there that have a huge detrimental impact on our mental health, what with the increasing cost of living, every waking minute we're bombarded with negativity, between social media and various news channels, it doesn't seem to matter much these days where we look, negativity is everywhere...

This is why I wanted to talk a little about how spending time outside really can have a positive impact on your mental health. So let's dive right in....

Personally, I've always found that spending time outside in nature and working in the garden really does help me with negative thoughts and times when my own struggles with anxiety get too much for me and what I really want any of you who are reading this, if you've ever felt like you are struggling with your mental health...I see you and you're not alone, things can always get better. You are stronger than you think you are, you're see and you are cared for. You are not alone.

So, how exactly does gardening help with mental health?

Gardening can improve many aspects of mental health, focus and concentration. I don't know about you guys, but nothing helps calm my racing thoughts than getting my hands stuck in some dirt. Getting my hands into some dirt really does help me feel a sense of grounding, it helps me feel connected to the earth and it brings a sense of joy and peace that is hard to find in today's world.

So, here are some of the other benefits of gardening and the positive impact it will have on your mental health:

1: Improves Attention Span- Gardening really does force you to slow down for a little while. Gardening can change how well you pay attention on a single activity. If you struggle with staying focused on tasks, conversations or topics in your daily life, gardening can and will help you learn to concentrate on what is going on right in front of you, slowing down and not thinking too much about your racing thoughts.

2: Boosts Self-Esteem-  Self-esteem is known as how you value and feel positively about yourself and that is something that many people, myself included, struggle with. It's no secret that from time to time we all need little boosts to our self-esteem and there is nothing wrong with that. Helping a plant grow is a big feat. When you see your work pay off with healthy plants, your sense of pride and accomplishment gets a boost.

3: Provides Exercise-  Gardening activities like weeding, digging and raking up leaves are good exercise. Regular exercise reduces anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. Studies have shown that regular exercise can even help prevent dementia. If you don't like going to the gym, gardening can be an enjoyable way to still get these benefits.

4:  Connecting With Others- Nothing makes struggling with mental health worse than loneliness and isolation. Yet on the other hand a few good things can boost our well-being like good relationships and connecting with other people. Gardening brings people together, it fosters a sense of community, with like-minded people with similar interests and a shared goal, it can keep feelings of loneliness and isolation at bay.

Please remember that struggles don't last forever and there is no shame in admitting your struggles. Help is out there and there is nothing wrong with getting help.

Thank you for reading.
Until Next Time, 
Kim