Today's world can often leave us feeling stressed, upset and overwhelmed. There has been a significant rise in mental health problems over recent years. But gardening can offer respite from the challenges we face, and help us to feel calm, connected and content. 

Gardening's impact on our state of mind is just one of the many reasons why gardening and growing your own at home is such a wonderful idea. Here are some of the reasons why gardening is good for mental health

Gardening Gets You Outdoors into Green Spaces

There is research that suggests that spending time in green spaces can lower the risk of developing psychological disorders. Forest bathing or nature immersion is a therapy now offered in several different locations around the world. So whether you are already feeling unwell, or want to stay on an even-keel, even short periods spent in green spaces can help. 

Spending time in a natural environment, surrounded by plants and local wildlife has been shown to help combat the sense of disconnection we can feel in built-up environments. We can feel less alone when we feel a closer connection to the plants and animals around us, and the soil below our feet. 

What is more, when we are exposed to the microbiome in garden soil, several studies have shown that beneficial bacteria can actually influence our mood in a positive way by acting on serotonergic neurons in our brains.

Gardening Boosts Resilience and Helps You Take Back Control

Remember, when you create your own garden, you can design and create it in such a way that it becomes a haven for you – designed to meet your own specific needs and preferences.

Choosing your own plants and deciding where to place them according to your site and your needs can help you feel you are taking back some control. It can give you a sense of agency and autonomy that is often lacking in the modern world. 

Growing your own food and other resources can also reduce financial pressures and combat food insecurity. When you take things into your own hands, you can reduce worry and stress over supply chain issues, global challenges, and other factors outside your own immediate control. 

When you grow your own, you can become part of the solution, rather than part of the problem, and feel a sense that you are really doing something tangible to create the world you want to see.

Gardens 'Grow' More Than Just Plants

Gardening can also boost your personal resilience – your ability to cope when things go wrong. In a garden, there will always be things that don't go quite according to plan. 

Gardening can help you accept the things you cannot change, and change the things you cannot accept.  Small disappointments and frustrations will help you learn how to cope when other things in your life arise, and learn the art of patience as your crops grow. 

However, with each small success, your skills, your knowledge and your confidence will grow. You will begin to feel that connection, working in harmony with the natural world, and can feel a part of something larger than yourself.