People often ask why I love gardening. Mostly my reply is just look at the results of my work and its beauty says it all. In reality, it is therapeutic. I go through bouts of severe depression where I just cannot function. At times, I isolate myself and have no motivation to do much of anything. My mind is like a blank screen. Television is just noise. I don’t eat or do anything to care for myself. To some people, it is easy just to shake it off and move on. Unfortunately for me, mine goes beyond that. Sometimes is it may lasts for just a few hours or a few days-life is not good.
I am blessed by good friends who check in on me and a dog that does everything he can to try and get me to snap out of it. If it does not work he lies on my lap and stays very close. Then there is my garden. As my mind slowly makes a turn in the right direction, I still may not be able to deal with people or leave the house, but I can go outside and doing the simplest thing like pulling weeds is a deterrent. The busier I get, the more; I am able to slowly come out of it. Then I get back on track. With a property my size there is plenty of things to do. A great part of the time, when I feel the onset of depression, I can get to work and this alleviates the changes going on in my mind.
Amy O’Brian writes in an article published earlier this year for the National post about how gardening benefits people who are sick emotionally or physically.,
“Gardeners believe it and studies have shown that even the view of a flower or tree can lift spirits and help an ailing body recover.”
She further refers to a behavioral research study made by Rutgers University which found the presence of flowers-at the bedside or outside a window-triggers happy emotion, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behavior in positive ways that exceeds what was previously believed.
Amy continues with an interview of Aimee Taylor, a Vancouver horticulture therapist who works with disabled adults and seniors. Taylor explains,
“If you look at the research in environmental psychology, it shows that gardening helps people recover from stress and it can help people focus less on their problems," Taylor said. "Evidence has shown that gardening makes people feel more optimistic, gives them a regular routine, a sense of purpose and achievement."
Amy O’Brian confirms with both the Rutgers’s study and the interview with Taylor, the benefits of how gardening benefits those suffering from emotional distress or illness in a very positive way. I agree 100% with her findings. Though my moods can be similar to riding a roller coaster, working in my garden does helps to alleviate the some of the pain associated with my depression. Most of all, to see the final results is enough to lift not only my spirits but anyone who comes here. In today’s world everyone is so busy with the hustle and bussel of our lives, sometimes stopping to look at the beauty of God’s creations can make us appreciate the beauty of the world around us.
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I wish I could have a physical activity to relieve stress. On the downside, I can't get near plants without killing them. I am a klutz with anything else. I also am not creative. I resort to reading as my stress reliever. Your yard looks nice so you must be doing alot of therapy.
ReplyDeleteI thought that was an interesting post. Sometimes I get the feeling I just want to go lay down in a giant field with many trees. Just thinking about it brings peace to my mind, laying down on the greenest grass, taking the trees in feeling like im on cloud 9. I've never actually done it because I don't know of any public places like the one I imagine. Usually when I want to do this it's because I'm stressed out and want to get away from everybody. I can see how gardening would get your mind off of things but I never thought that it was something that a university would research.
ReplyDeleteI have read this too and wanted to try it myself, but gardening is just not brutal enough. The only violent plants i have been able to find are the venus fly trap and that one bell plant that eats fly's when they get trapped in it. Ever since watching little shop of horrors, gardening always seemed that it could have fascinating possibilities given it be put into the hands of the right psychopath...
ReplyDelete~Bane
I have never been nor could i ever reall be a gardener. The closest thing I get is my bamboo in my room that I often forget to water. But I love how you use it to relax! I could totally use an activity like that on a pretty much daily basis.
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