World Wellbeing Week is from 24th until 28th June 2019 and highlights how we focus on ourselves and how we look after out mental and physical health. The awareness week was created to encourage large companies and governments to look at how they promote wellbeing at work and in society. It also attempts to promote efforts from charitable organisations. Gardening and growing plants has recently been heralded as a fantastic way of staying mindful and helping with mental health issues and so, could benefit mental and physical wellbeing.
Urban Gardening
With people in inner cities finding it hard to make ends meet and spaces being cemented over, community groups have taken to gardening to help residents grow their own fruit and veg and create green spaces. Councils in London have given communities the tools to make areas dedicated to working together and providing food. These initiatives not only bring people together but also help the air quality, reduce flooding and support biodiversity. They have seen great successes in area such as Lambeth and Brixton.
Adding green spaces to urbanised areas can also help with depression and anxiety. Many of us now live in rather built-up areas and can find it hard to grow our own fruit and veg, let alone plants and trees. If you live in accommodation with no garden and limited space, size and practicality are key. Window planters for herbs and succulents will add a hint of green and will break your view up. If you’re lucky enough to have a balcony, you could invest in a balcony planter. With both window and balcony planters, you could grow your own fruit and vegetables, which could help your purse strings, too. Many of us live near allotments and they can be inexpensive to rent. These spaces are perfect for growing food, if you’re just getting started or need extra tools to expand your project, we have a large area dedicated to growing your own fruit and veg that could help you.
Gardening and the NHS
A garden can be like a sanctuary for the mind. The NHS have taken advantage of this and have started gardening initiatives centered at aiming to help with certain mental health issues such as stress around the country. Working hard on a plot can be rather therapeutic and the results are easy to see. Fruit, vegetables and beautiful flowers can bloom quickly if a project is started properly and with the right guidance. The blend of physical and mental activity that gardening commands can be the best therapy for some. The transformation of bare patch to working garden could be perfect for anyone needing to employ some mindfulness to their lives.
As we are entering the month of July, plants and food plants can grow quicker than in other months which can feel more rewarding. In addition, the physical aspect to digging and planting could center the mind and improve physical health. Try to plant flowers that attract butterflies and bees, knowing that you’re helping the environment around you will give you a great sense of purpose and watching these insects is extremely pleasing. Gardening in summer months is great way of bonding with family and friends, as well. See if you can connect with others on a project and make it fun.
Even if you do not suffer from mental health issues, gardening can help with overall wellbeing and when you love your environment, you feel better. With the NHS rolling out ‘prescription gardening’, it is little wonder that there is attention towards gardening over Wellbeing Week. Although, it’s not just mental health that is benefitted from gardening, physical health from the labour involved in gardening and digestive health from consuming organic vegetables and fruit are also impacted. Creating green spaces in urbanised areas can also help reduce flooding, bio emissions and air quality. Issues that affect all of us.
To find out more about starting a gardening project, explore our website https://www.originalorganics.co.uk/
Gardening for World Wellbeing Week
- 21 Jun 2019
