Why Is Gardening Good For Mental Health?

We all know that it’s good for us to be outside. We’ve heard the advice to go out and get a breath of fresh air or to take ourselves on a walk when we’re feeling down – but what about gardening?

At Bloom Sheffield, we know that gardening is an amazing activity to help with your mental health. Not only is this backed up by academic research, but we’ve seen it in action at the workshops, therapeutic horticulture groups and Gather & Grow sessions that we regularly host at our flower garden.

From reducing stress to connecting to nature, here are four ways that gardening can help improve your mental health:

Reduces stress

Many studies have shown that spending time outdoors can reduce your stress and lower anxiety levels. When you feel stressed or anxious, concentrating on a physical task can help give your mind a break. From repotting a plant to digging a new flower bed, there’s always something you can do in the garden to take your mind off of things and find some peace and quiet amongst nature.

Teaches patience

In a world that’s always rushing, it’s hard for us to not feel agitated and impatient at times. But there’s nothing that requires more patience than growing and cultivating plants and seeds. Gardening isn’t instant: whether we’re nurturing a particularly stubborn seedling or resiliently pruning unruly shrubs, it’s a task that requires us to take a deep breath and trust the process.

Connects us to nature

Sometimes, we need to be reminded to take a second and look around us. Our garden at Bloom Sheffield is surrounded by gorgeous greenery of the Peak District, and it’s a pleasure to try and reflect the vibrant natural surroundings in our gardening. There’s nothing like having a cup of tea in the garden, marvelling at the wildlife that buzzes and sings around you and the plants and flowers that you helped to grow. When we’re reminded of the role that we play in nature, it helps to give us a new perspective on things.

Finding community

Gardening is a great way to cope with feelings of loneliness. When you work with other people to achieve something, whether that’s reviving an old plot or sowing new seeds in time for spring, gardening is an activity that helps you connect with others, create new memories and meet other green-thumbed people. At Bloom Sheffield, we’ve seen this connection sprout through our volunteer opportunities, workshops, and Gather & Grow sessions – keep an eye on our events page to see how you can get involved in our community!

Join us!

Bloom Sheffield believes that gardening can help all of us with managing our mental health. Our garden is a low-pressure environment for women to learn and share skills, meet new people and be involved in a positive, nature-based activity. You can do as much, or as little, as you like – it’s all about coming together with other women to try something new and feel good!

If you’d like to come and give gardening a go, join us at our Gather & Grow sessions. Or if you’d like to attend our Gardening To Feel Good Groups, which are sessions that run for 8 weeks at a time and are specifically to provide tailored support to improve mental health and wellbeing, you are welcome. You can find out more here.

With much love and thanks to Bridie Wilkinson, who wrote this blog post for us.