Gardening x Mindfulness

Something I think a lot of recovering perfectionists struggle with is patience. Patience is such an interesting skill, because it is greatly impacted by our own life experiences, how we are parented, and maybe our innate core selves as well. An example might be if you waited for a parent or loved one to get news if they are sick or in recovery from an illness- patience can become tied to painful emotions. Another example is culture based. Living in a workforce society like the US leads to a narrative that “time is money”. When you view time in this societal narrative- there becomes a pressure to perform, and to “not just sit around.” Yet, many concepts related to psychology show that life balance is actually the skill that helps people report leading full, and fulfilling lives.

*Science

The Mayo Clinic reports, “Nearly all forms of exercise can reduce stress including gardening. It's been shown to lighten mood and lower levels of stress and anxiety. It's very gratifying to plant, tend, harvest and share your own food.

A smaller study, How Gardening in Detroit Influences Physical and Mental Health, done by Alyssa Beavers, Ashley Atkinson, Lauren Varvatos, et al. concluded that, “Prominent physical health impacts attributed to gardening included providing an enjoyable source of activity, management of chronic diseases, and improved physical functioning. Participants also reported that gardening improved their mood, relieved stress, was an important part of their spirituality, contributed to their personal growth, and provided an opportunity for helping others.”

Community

I found it interesting that both articles talk about the ways that gardening can increase social connections. To experiment myself, I started a small window garden and watched it grow for the past few weeks. I have noticed that my searches, and social media usage swayed heavily towards how other’s propagate, grow, and care for their plants. This accidental escape from other, more stressful areas of social media became more impactful than I probably realize. Seeing other gardeners caring for nature, and sharing their skills has been a beautiful new part of my life.

Being a novice gardener, I would be curious about what gardening community activities and events are like. If people do truly tend to get supportive mental health byproducts from gardening, I wonder if they are also more open to building new connections to others who share similar interests.

A long time example of community and gardening, is community gardens. Here on the west coast, it seems to be a very popular idea. Local areas that are unused or between houses can be used to create communal garden spaces. This creates a natural opportunity to connect with others. In addition to that, Richard Thompson wrote Gardening for health: a regular dose of gardening in which he shares, “Health professionals should encourage the development of gardens in hospitals, hospices, schools, and prisons.” He also shares that gardening has shown to be supportive with veteran mental health, physical health and PTSD specific symptoms. (Keep in mind this article may be more biased than others, read full text via the link.)

Routines

Routines provide structure to our day and are linked to improved mental health. Gardening routines, like watering and weeding, can create a soothing rhythm to ease stress.” This summary provides two main points, that mindfulness based activities like gardening can help reduce stress related symptoms. And that having consistent routines helps with our motivation, and mini-goal setting.

Mini-goals are one of the keys to changing your relationship with patience. Sometimes larger life goals start to feel overwhelming when a person is working on patience as a skill. They want it DONE NOW. They want to FINISH IT. And THEN they will “be happy'“. This hamster wheel of never ending disappointment is exhausting.

By setting mini-goals, that support your larger goal, the skill of building healthy patience begins. In this larger example of gardening, you can’t just yell at your plants to grow faster. Nurturing, planning, caring and waiting for them to grow on their own timeline is a mindfulness practice.

Accessiblity

A point I want to highlight in this blog post is that gardening CAN be available to everyone. But there might be barriers for some people that lead to this type of hobby/activity being less attainable. Financially, if you can get your hands on a jar, a few seeds, and water- you have access to a mini garden. Gardens don’t have to be this big elaborate thing. It can start with that garlic you forgot about that is now sprouting in your cupboard, or the leftover seeds from a bouquet your partner gave you. Additionally, gardens don’t have to be in the ground. If you have difficulty sitting, or being low to the ground, there are many options. You could keep a small garden on your counter window, or get a standing garden box. There are many other options out there, it is just about being creative. The larger goal is to practice mindfulness in a way that is connected to nature.

“You Grow Girl”

Whatever you get from this article, I hope that you are inspired to try a new activity. Gardening is just one example of many types of nature based hobbies. It is a great time in the PNW to start a mini-window garden! And as I mentioned before, there are gardening options for everybody. It is just about figuring out how this fits into your life. And if it doesn’t, we’d love to hear what nature based mindful activities you find supportive to your wellness journey!