Gardening And Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental health has been an important part of many lives not only here in the UK but also across the world. Having spent over a year worrying about a global pandemic, the health of your loved ones, job security and for some isolating at home, it is no wonder that there has been a rise in those struggling with their mental health. This year, mental health awareness week is May 10th to 16th and the theme this time around is nature. How can getting out into the garden this May help you?

Mental Health Awareness

Not everyone will go through the same experiences in life, nor will they have the same methods of remaining calm when life finds them struggling. This is why Mental Health Awareness Week helps to get as many people as possible talking to each other, and speaking out about their experiences. While speaking out is not for everyone, knowing you are not alone can be the first step in feeling better.
With this year’s focus being all about nature, there are a number of ways that you can get out into your own garden and practice some mindfulness, or create yourself a nice relaxing space, where you can get away from the rest of the world.

Plant Mindfulness

Growing plants has been renowned for being a great mindfulness activity. As you have to put great care into the selecting of your plants, the placement of them in your garden and the careful planting of them, before you can sit back and watch them grow, it is a great way to occupy your mind and allow you to concentrate on something completely separate. Paying close attention to details along every step of the process can help to increase that mindfulness along with watching your plant grow and the care that you can put in to help it reach maturity and beyond.

Relaxation Space

Create a space in your garden that you can turn into your relaxation space. Whether this is a bench at the end of the garden where you can look out over nature or a patch of grass you can sit on to let all the woes of the day flow away. Where possible, make this space your space, where it will seldom be disturbed by others as this can help you to relax fully.

Nature

Nature itself has a great calming effect on many people, so no matter how your garden might look, just getting outside can sometimes help. Just listening to the world around you pass by, the birds chirping in the trees, the wind whispering as it passes and sometimes the trickle of water.
Filling your garden with a range of colours, scents and textures can help to have a positive impact on your senses all round, allowing you to focus your thoughts outside, while the physical act of planting and caring for your garden can help keep you active and calm. All while breathing in healthy garden air.

If your garden doesn’t feel like the kind of space where you can sit back and relax, or it’s looking a little overgrown right now, get in touch with the team here at Abingdon’s Complete Garden Service who can help to discuss landscaping your garden exactly how you want it. We can also help out with regular maintenance if you need a helping hand. If you are ever unsure, get in touch and we can help as much as possible.