Everyone Needs a Strategy to Maintain Their Mental Health

I'm not going to lie, sometimes I feel like I'm just struggling through life. Sometimes I think I'm just a victim of circumstance. But then I remember that I am blessed with an amazing family and friends. I also realize that I have a lot of opportunities to help others. I have a business that allows me to strengthen their presence online.  I have a passion for learning and teaching others.  And I have a beautiful wife who supports me every step of the way.

During these days each of us needs to come up with a strategy to maintain our mental health. We need to find ways to stay positive in this world. It's easy to get caught up in negative thoughts when we are stressed out or depressed. We can't let those feelings take over. We need to find a balance between being happy and sad. Therefore one of the great hobbies of all time is to start a garden.

Gardening for Mental Health

Gardens can help us relax and de-stress. They can also help us get out of our heads and into the present. We can enjoy the beauty of nature, smell flowers, and appreciate the simple pleasures of life. Gardens can make us feel happier and more relaxed. Spending time in gardens can help us think about other things besides ourselves.

Gardening improves focus. You may not realize it, but when you garden, you're focusing on just one thing at a time. That means you're less likely to get distracted by other things going on around you. And because you're paying close attention to what you're doing, you'll notice if something needs fixing sooner. Gardening also helps you stay calm and relaxed. Research shows that spending time outdoors reduces stress levels. Plus, it can give you a mental break from all the chaos of everyday life.

Exercise helps reduce stress, depression, and other physical and mental illnesses. It also improves your overall quality of life. You don't need to go to the gym to reap the benefits of regular exercise. Gardening is a great form of exercise because it doesn't require any equipment or membership fees. It also encourages social interaction and bonding through working together to accomplish a goal.

Why Gardening Can Improve Mental Health

Gardens are places where we can grow our own food, enjoy nature, and connect with others. Gardening is a great hobby because you get to spend time outdoors, meet new people, and create something beautiful. You also get to eat what you grew yourself!

The effects of gardening on body and mind, which therefore makes us healthier

Gardening is an excellent form of exercise. It combines physical activity with mental stimulation and social interaction. Gardening also provides access to fresh produce, which is healthy and nutritious. In addition, working in the garden helps restore dexterity and strength, and it can even help you burn calories at the same rate as running a mile. Digging, racking and mowing are especially calorie intensive, so if you're looking for a low-calorie alternative to running, gardening may be just what you need.

In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that physical inactivity causes about 3.2 million deaths per year worldwide. Physical activity helps prevent many chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, dementia, and falls. According to WHO estimates, physical inactivity accounts for 4.3% of global mortality. A recent study found that increasing physical activity levels could reduce the number of deaths caused by heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and respiratory problems by 25%.

Fortunately, high intensity exercise is NOT needed to obtain these benefits. These benefits can be obtained through low intensity activity like gardening or just walking through green spaces.

Although there is not enough evidence to prove that certain complementary therapies are effective, gardening and nature therapy are inexpensive and widely available. There is evidence that knitting helps too!

How to Start Your Own Gardening SelfCare Habit

Neidlich says you can reap the rewards of gardening no matter where, the size of garden you have access to, whether you have access to an outdoor or indoor garden, or even if you're not lucky enough to have an outdoor garden of your very own. She says there are many psychological benefits to tending to an indoor garden or stepping out to appreciate someone else's outdoor garden. The idea is that slowing down, disconnecting from technology, and focusing all of your attention on the task at hand will help you feel calmer and happier.

Bridget Bueche is an organic farming consultant and former professional chef in Newport Beach, CA. She offers three tips for getting started with growing your own food.

First, if you don't know what you're going to grow, start with what you like to eat. It'll make you feel more motivated to care for your plants, she says, and will also make the finished product more enjoyable.

Second, choose crops that are easy for beginners to grow. Radishes, parsley, cilantro, basil and lettuce are all great choices.

Third, consider starting small. You can always expand later, but you might not enjoy it as much if you've got a big garden full of weeds.

Dig into the right kind of soil. “Healthy, clean and nutrient-dense” soil is the key to growing healthy plants. Different types of plants need different amounts of nutrients, water, light, and air. If you’re not sure what kind of soil you should dig into, ask your local gardening store or nursery. You may also want to consider the location of your garden. Plants that prefer dry conditions might do well in an area with lots of sunlight, while those that like to stay wet all the time might do better in areas with less direct sunlight.

Use an App. Learn more about what you're growing with a gardening app like Planta, which provides insight to each individual plant, including how long it takes to grow, how much sunlight it needs, and whether it likes shade. Your phone can be a great gardening aid. Set your alarm to help you remember when to water, and if you forget, check out the weather forecast.

Physical Benefits of Plants and Gardening

Plants are beneficial to our overall well-being. They clean the air we breathe, reduce stress levels, increase productivity, and even boost moods. Plants also provide us with a sense of peace and calmness. We can see them grow and thrive all around us, yet we rarely notice them until they need our attention.

Gardening Helps You Move Your Body Longer

Gardens are great places to get your daily dose of vitamin D, and if you're lucky enough to have access to sunlight, you'll also get your recommended amount of vitamin D. Gardening is an excellent form of exercise. It's low impact, and you won't feel like you've worked out at all. If you're looking to lose weight, gardening is a great option. It's low calorie, and you'll burn calories while you water plants and tend them.

Studies show we need to burn around 2,000 calories a WEEK with exercise! That's a lot of work, but luckily there are plenty of ways to get those calories burning. You could try running for 30 minutes every other day, or maybe you'd like to try cycling instead? Or perhaps you'd prefer to walk? Whatever you choose, remember to keep it fun and interesting. If you're looking for something more intense, why not try HIIT workouts? These high intensity interval training exercises will help you lose weight fast while also improving your cardiovascular health.

You can burn around 250 calories per hour working in your garden. That's enough to get you through a full day of hard labor. And if you're feeling really ambitious, you can burn even more calories while you're planting seeds, watering plants, and harvesting vegetables.

In Conclusion

If you are looking to find ways to improve your health both mentally and physically then look no further than planting a garden. There are so many benefits to this simple hobby. Whether you enjoy spending time outdoors or just relaxing after a stressful week, gardening is a great way to unwind. So go ahead and start digging today.