Gardening Can Help Your Mental Health

By Sierra Peters

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Gardening is a hobby enjoyed by many people. Whether a person can keep their plants alive or not, gardening or having plants indoors can be very beneficial to mental health and our entire well-being. Being able to keep a living plant not only increases a person’s awareness of what's around them, but it also gives them some other thing to care for and be a part of other than themselves. Owning plants and making caring for them a part of our routine gives structure which can relieve stress, boost cognitive performance, mood, and concentration. 

This routine and cycle of taking care of plants also helps people practice acceptance of things which they cannot control. Being able to create a schedule to water the plants, make sure it has the proper nutrients and sunlight, and weeding them allow for people to focus on the controllables and potentially not about everything else that life throws that can never be controlled. It also helps with accepting what people cannot control— even when we give the plant proper care, it can always die or overgrow, and you have to either fix or accept the outcome.

Gardening or planting indoors can also be used for mindfulness and meditation, giving peace of mind and a comforting environment. This gives people the opportunity to connect with the plants, potentially have a spiritual experience, and give themselves the space to be at rest. This type of practice can also develop what is called a “growth mindset” in which a person focuses on constantly learning, taking a loss such as the plant dying as an opportunity to learn, and do better next time. This can move from just talking about learning from plants to a person’s actual life, and being able to learn from all of their mistakes instead of expecting perfection. 

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Another related area to having plants within the home is what is called a ”Forest Bath” which is the art of incorporating plants into your bath and skincare routine. Simply having plants in the bathroom or, for example, having eucalyptus hanging from the shower, can lower stress, blood pressure, depression, fatigue, and can boost parasympathetic activity which pertains to the rest and digestive systems. 

Especially with all of the negative events and news happening right now, it is important for people to think about their well-being and making their home a comfortable, safe environment for themselves. Purchasing a plant or a few to start and having a garden or indoor plants can affect a person’s well-being in so many ways. There are several websites that discuss the benefits of specific types of plants in the home that can also improve air quality which can lead to a boosted immune system. For more information, check out some of these websites below to find out what plants would suit your lifestyle and mental health goals.

References

Augustin, S. (2019). Indoor Plants a Plus. Retrieved April 12, 2020.  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/people-places-and-things/201911/indoor-plants-plus  

Davis, T. (2019). 13 ways plants can boost your health and happiness. Retrieved April 12, 2020. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/201907/13-ways-plants-can-boost-your-health-and-happiness  

Gillihan, S. J. (2019). 10 mental health benefits of gardening. Retrieved April 12, 2020. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/201906/10-mental-health-benefits-gardening  

Britt, A. (2017). Why YOUR garden is the secret of true happiness? And which plants make it a restful haven. Retrieved April 12, 2020. https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/778197/garden-secret-to-happiness-outdoors-benefits  

Mental HealthKarla Lassonde