It’s springtime, the perfect time of year to roll up your sleeves and plant a garden. Whether you opt to plant rows and rows of vegetables or a beautiful wildflower garden makes no difference; either way you will definitely benefit from the time you spend outdoors in your garden.
The process of planting and growing plants and flowers is one that is both soothing and gratifying. Tilling soil, planting, watering, and tending to plants outside in the sunshine promotes a healthy mind and body. To learn the many reasons to start your garden today, read on!
How Planting a Garden Brightens Your Attitude and Improves Positivity
Yes, cultivating a garden will produce pretty flowers and robust veggies, but did you know it also cultivates a positive state of mind? Being outdoors exposes you to the many gifts of nature, things you might otherwise not have noticed.
A soft breeze on your face, the sounds of birds chirping, and the yummy aromas of gardenia, roses, or lilacs emanating from your garden will immediately transport you to your happy place.
Studies have provided robust evidence of the many beneficial effects of gardening on both physical and mental health. For example, being outdoors helps to increase your vitamin D levels, which can be protective against depression and also improve your immune system. In fact, no matter how small your garden happens to be, just tending to it on a regular basis is sure to boost your mood and improve overall feelings of positivity.
5 Benefits of Gardening
How satisfying it is to plant seeds or baby plants, and then nurture them into strong healthy plants! The age-old practice of growing plants from the earth is hardwired into us, and therefore capable of producing a myriad of healthful benefits. These include:
- Reduces stress. You will enjoy immense stress-reducing effects by spending time in the garden. Being out in the sunshine and working the soil with your hands distracts you from your worries while also reducing levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.
- Improves strength and balance. The process of planting and caring for a garden is a fairly physical endeavor. Walking, bending, carrying, squatting, and kneeling are all movements that will improve muscle tone and balance over time.
- Connects you to nature. The practice of gardening connects you closely to nature, and that makes us feel good. Whether you grow and harvest healthy greens to serve at your table or bunches of flowers to beautify your landscape, Mother Nature provides the ingredients to make it all happen.
- Gives you a sense of accomplishment. There is nothing quite so satisfying as starting a project and seeing it through to completion. Planting a garden is not a one-off event but a process that takes time and dedication, allowing you to experience the rewards of sticking to it.
- Cultivates a positive mindset. Your garden is your safe haven, a calm, quiet place where you can soak up all its beauty and just smile. Yes, you planted that garden, you nurtured those plants, and now you get to bask in the happy and satisfied glow of positivity.
Tending to a garden can absolutely improve mood, reduce stress, and build self-esteem. If you are looking for a project that will provide benefits for months and years to come, plant a garden!
