John Burroughs, a writer and naturalist from America, once said, “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in tune once more.”
Since ancient times, gardening has been known as a natural stress reliever. Today, healthcare providers consistently recommend gardening activities to patients struggling with issues that are negatively affecting all aspects of their lives.
The activity itself, plus enjoying the peace, beauty and bounty of gardening can lower stress levels and promote health and wellness in your life. Even if you don’t have a huge garden space in your backyard, gardening activities are readily available for you.
Gardening has often been prescribed as an anecdote to mental suffering such as stress and anxiety. Digging in the earth, enjoying the warm sunshine and watching living things grow are huge stress-relieving rewards for your gardening efforts.
Beyond the obvious benefits of mental restoration, you should also consider gardening activity as a physical reward that can bring restored health and vigor to your body. When you feel good from being outdoors and creating something substantial in the way of beauty or food for the garden, your sense of well-being will multiply tenfold.
Studies show that gardeners have more optimism and appreciation for life than non-gardeners. The good thing is that you only need some houseplants or a small space in a window or on a patio to get both mental and physical satisfactions from gardening. Continue reading
Have you ever brushed against a rosemary plant or rubbed some leaves between your fingers to release the pungent and relaxing aroma? Rosemary is just one of the herbs you can easily grow in your garden or in containers to add to recipes or add sprigs to bouquets of flowers for an aromatic mood-lifter. Continue reading
Stress relief can be as close as your garden. Rather than reaching for a prescription drug or over-the-counter medication to calm your nerves, there are three types of gardens you can cultivate that will combat stress in almost any form.
Stress relief from the garden can come from flowers, a beautiful and relaxing butterfly garden or a food garden so you can enjoy nature’s bounty on your table in exciting and delicious recipes.
Just the act of cultivating a garden can be a restful and peaceful experience. Getting outdoors in the warm sunshine and communing with nature by helping plants grow and provide beauty or harvest can be relaxing and a healthy way to exercise. Continue reading