Planting Seeds of Joy: The Positive Benefits of Gardening on Well-being
Gardening is much more than just growing plants. It’s a way to cultivate joy, improve your health, and enhance your well-being!
Picture this: You start with a tiny seed that you can hold in between your fingers. Then you search to find the perfect spot outdoors, prepare the earth, and bury the seed beneath the soil. Each day you go outside to water the seed and check on it until one day it sprouts!
As it grows, you nurture it. It relies on your care. There are weeds that need to be pulled, and sometimes there are bugs and diseases that you need to treat. This requires you to learn new things.
Finally, flowers will blossom, and fruit will grow!
You won’t be able to hold back the smile when you pick your fresh produce and enjoy it or share it with a friend. Joy comes in the process of gardening as well as in the end results.
Benefits of Gardening
Homegrown, healthful produce, herbs, and lovely flowers aside, gardening benefits your mind and body in many ways.
Gardening can help:
● Build confidence
● Increase time spent outside
● Improve your mood
● Decrease stress
● Build community
● Provide exercise
● Improve flexibility and strength
● Improve focus and concentration
● Improve problem-solving skills
● Promote life-long learning
● Improve overall health
Let’s dig in and take a deeper look at the benefits of gardening and the positive impact it can have on your well-being.
Gardening Can Give You a Sense of Accomplishment
There is great pride that comes with planting something and watching it grow and blossom. This sense of accomplishment can build confidence and help to develop appreciation for yourself and your efforts.
When you look at your garden growing, it’s something to celebrate! You’re doing something amazing!
When you inevitably run into challenges that need solving, it’s a great opportunity to practice problem-solving skills and learn new things.
There might be times when your plants aren’t thriving. Do they have a disease, too much water, or not enough water? Or maybe you have some pesky bugs eating your beautiful plants.
Life-long learning is important for a healthy brain. Read books, articles, or talk to seasoned gardeners, and with a little bit of trial and error, you’ll find solutions and become more resilient. Your knowledge and skills will build over time.
Gardening Can Improve Mood & Decrease Stress
Spending time growing a garden can increase your time spent outdoors and in nature, which may improve mental health. Research has shown that gardening can reduce feelings of anxiousness, sadness, and stress for people of all ages.
When you’re focusing on the tasks of weeding, shoveling, moving dirt, or picking plants, you can more easily clear your mind, let go of your other concerns and concentrate on what’s right in front of you.
Even your breathing can be affected by being in nature. People tend to breathe deeper when they’re outdoors. Deeper breathing can decrease stress, improve mood, and help you to focus better.
Gardening Can Provide Exercise
The physical aspect of gardening can release endorphins and combat stress and low mood. It’s a clever form of exercise because you may not realize how hard you’re working while you’re doing it.
While gardening, you’re also doing this:
● Building strength
● Improving flexibility
● Burning calories
● Improving mobility
● Strengthening balance
Gardening incorporates functional movements that exercise your whole body.
Gardening Can Build Community
Gardening is a hobby that’s enjoyed by many. You’re part of a larger community when you garden. It’s often a social activity that can bring families and friends together.
It’s a way to build social connections, which are important for all of us, and can lead to new friendships.
Let your children or grandchildren help you in the garden. It’s a way to include them in your world and help them build confidence. It’s a wonderful life skill to know how to grow food and other plants. Children will be excited if you let them take ownership of an area or a specific plant.
Gardening also provides an opportunity for service in your community. Share your produce with friends and family. There’s nothing better than receiving homegrown food.
When You Garden, You Tend to Eat Healthier
When you grow your own organic food, you know exactly where it comes from. The truth is, when you garden, you tend to eat healthier, have higher quality organic produce, and are even more likely to cook at home.
Bonus: homegrown foods are full of flavor and can be harvested and consumed at their peak of ripeness.
There’s also the feeling that you’re more connected to the earth. If you involve your family and children, they’ll be exposed to more vegetables and may have pride in the fruits of their labor too. If your children struggle to eat enough vegetables, it might be worth trying letting them grow their own!
Here are the benefits of some favorite homegrown garden foods:
- Tomatoes are loaded with the antioxidant lycopene, which can help protect your cells from damage. They’re also high in vitamins B, E, potassium, and folate.
- Zucchini and Summer Squash are rich in vitamins C and A, fiber to aid digestion, and antioxidants.
- Cucumbers are over 95% water and can help keep you hydrated. They’re also rich in vitamin K and potassium. They’re good for your skin too!
- Carrots are high in vitamins A, K, and C, and are rich in antioxidants.
- Strawberries are a good source of vitamin A, manganese, folate, and potassium. They’re also rich in antioxidants and contain fiber.
Here’s How to Start Your Own Garden
Gardening is for everyone. No matter your age, or what your space looks like, with some creativity you can create your own garden. If you don’t have an outdoor space at your home, try using a windowsill or you may even be able to find a community plot.
3 Tips to Get You Started Gardening
- Start small if gardening seems overwhelming. You only need a few pots or a small bed to begin with.
- Look for easy to grow plants in your area. Herbs like basil, mint, and oregano are good options. Herbs can be grown almost anywhere. They do well in pots, and many enjoy shady spots. They’re fast-growing and aren’t fussy. Bees, birds, and butterflies love them too!
- Enjoy the process. Remember that gardening is as much about the journey as it is about the end product.
Gardening is a beautiful combination of physical exercise, nature, and sunlight. It’s an activity that can be enjoyed by all. It can give routine to your days and a meaningful sense of purpose when you need it.
With all the varied benefits of gardening, it might be just the thing you need to bring more health and joy to your life.
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