10 Surprising Benefits of Planting A Garden When You Are Overwhelmed

10 Surprising Benefits of Planting A Garden When You Are Overwhelmed

Gardening to many is more than only a hobby, and it offers many lifelong health advantages. It’s a highly soothing and therapeutic habit that involves a lot of physical movement and exercise and is great for when you are feeling overwhelmed. Gardening works in all the major muscle groups while you perform the tasks involved in gardening like raking, planting, digging, and a lot more. Apart from that, gardening allows you to produce healthy, fresh foods that improve health and help you attain any weight management goals.

You can start practicing gardening at any time you think you are ready, and you will observe the following benefits of connecting with the plants:

1. Fresh air
   Spending a lot of time outdoors in the fresh air will increase your oxygen intake and release serotonin. The rise in levels will improve your mood and help you feel a lot more relaxed and refreshed.
2. Exposure to sunshine
   Gardening outdoors increases the exposure you have to sunshine and vitamin D. Vitamin D will help your body absorb calcium and promote healthy bone growth. Try limiting the exposure to direct sunlight to only 15 to 30 minutes each day so that you don’t develop the risk of sunburn or skin cancer, and we always recommend using sunscreen.
3. Weight Management
   Gardening will demand you to move and bend here and there, increasing your overall physical movement on the days you garden. You will observe an improvement in your heart rate and the circulation of your blood. You will start burning calories and may even drop a few pounds! Mowing, hoeing, and reaping are a few examples of gardening activities that may help you stay fit.
4. Money Saving
   Gardening allows you to reduce your grocery bills, especially if you grow an organic garden vs. a traditional garden. If you are growing your fruits, vegetables, and herbs at home, you may notice you’re saving a little green in your wallet! One tiny seed can give you veggies all spring, summer, and fall! Learning to preserve your bounty can help you keep your grocery bill down for the winter times too!
5. Flavorful produce
   Gardening ensures that you have access to fresh fruits and vegetables when they are ripened. Most grocery stores are prepared for distribution even before they get fully ripe, which reduces their nutritional value. To boost flavor and vitamins, and nutrients, let your fruits, vegetables, and herbs grow fully when they are in season. You will notice the difference in taste for sure!
6. Organic options
   Gardening allows you to avoid any pesticides, fertilizers, and chemicals often applied to traditional commercial production. Maintaining the garden you have at home will enable you to grow the produce organically without any harmful chemicals that can interfere with overall health and wellness.
7. Stress relief
   When you feel overwhelmed, being close to nature and observing the garden is already a known way of reducing stress. Being in nature has many benefits that we humans can take advantage of. The connection of kindness that we have with our people can also develop with the plants we grow. You can start loving your garden and the incoming and outgoing seasons. All elements of your garden, the fresh air, sunlight, green color, and sense of accomplishment of growing your plants, are all a package of relief from stress.
8. Improved sleep
   Gardening is a great workout! Working out can help you get better sleep. It can regulate your hormones and reduce the risk of illnesses and diseases. Getting a good night’s sleep is shown to decrease the risk of cancer. Sleeping better during the night also helps in weight loss and the regulation of eating patterns.
9. Increase’s confidence
   Gardening needs a lot of attention and time to let the plants grow in the best shape. After seeing healthy and fresh produce growing in your garden, you will naturally feel highly confident about your work. Whenever you feel an improvement in your plant’s growth, you will naturally feel accomplished and will feel highly driven towards being active in life. Even if it is container gardening, you will feel highly accomplished once your healthy plants grow. You can boost your confidence and self-esteem, and lessen the feeling of being overwhelmed by seeing your plants growing well!
10. Quality and Time With Your Loved Ones
    Gardening with your friends and family will encourage relatively healthy habits. This quality time with your family will help you grow stronger, bonding with them, and help you grow together. The time you get for listening to different stories from your loved ones can significantly benefit your connection with them. Family members can paint gardening pots together, and you can enjoy a healthy time being around your family members, decreasing the feeling of being overwhelmed.

These were a few benefits of gardening and how it can decrease being overwhelmed, improve the quality of your life and give you peace of mind.

This habit will not only improve your mental health but will keep you physically healthy too. You can start this habit of gardening at any age and time, and you will find a lot of content online to support your new hobby. Many people have found this connection with plants to be highly therapeutic. The calming peace of gardening is just as valuable as the food you harvest.

Wishing you The Gift of Peace of Mind,

Tiffany