Mindfulness is the practice of being more aware of yourself and your surroundings through all of your senses. The aim is to calm your mind, keep you focussed and in the present moment. This is believed to make you feel calmer, more relaxed and less worried, anxious or stressed. There are many ways you can practice mindfulness and gardening is one of them.
Gardening is a form of mindfulness which is known to help people with anxiety and depression. The practice of both gardening and mindfulness combined will lead to you feeling much calmer, happier and less anxious at any time. You can read more about how gardening can improve mental health here.
Below are some ways you can practice mindfulness while gardening. All of these practices will keep you focused and in the present moment. Also try to take note of how you feel while practicing mindfulness in the garden and try to hold onto those feelings.
- Stop, stand and listen to the sounds around you when you’re in the garden. Birds singing, wind blowing through leaves….
- Notice how the soil feels on your hands or the grass on your feet.
- Feel the foliage of the plants around you and notice how they feel between your fingers and how many different types there are
- Notice how the warm sun feels on your skin. Turn your face to the sun and close your eyes. How does the sun feel on your face? Take note of the effect the sun has on your mood.
- If its raining, listen to the sounds of raindrops coming through trees or shrubs. How does the rain feel on your skin? Change your perspective of rain and think of it as refreshing. Everything is refreshed after a rain shower, the leaves are greener, the grass is greener. Look at the raindrops on the plants and notice how pretty they look. Noticing the beauty in nature has a great effect on mental wellbeing and the way that you view the world.
- Take note of how the breeze feels on your face and your skin. Listen to the sounds it makes as it blows through leaves. Notice how it creates movement in plants. Grasses are particularly beautiful as the breeze blows through them.
7. Notice the scents around you. Flowers, freshly mown grass, the smell of rain on a warm day. Make time to smell the flowers around you. Scent has a powerful effect on mood.
- Notice the small things and the beauty in them. The berries on plants, the small flowers on a shrub you’ve never noticed before. Look around you and take in all the small details and find the beauty in them.
- Try tasting your herbs and edible flowers and notice the different flavours. Take joy in the fact you have grown and nurtured these plants. Always be sure that your plants are edible before eating them. As a rule, if you’re not sure then don’t eat it. Always be safe.
It has been proven that within 3 minutes of being in a green space you will feel calmer and more relaxed. So next time you’re feeling anxious or stressed, get outside and be in your garden or a green space near your home and try practicing some of the mindfulness techniques I’ve described above. I know you’ll feel much calmer and more relaxed within those 3 minutes of being in your green space. Give it a go and see for yourself.