In today’s fast-paced world, where everyone is busy managing their hectic lifestyles, stress and anxiety are unfortunately becoming common and even expected human reactions. Gardening, particularly greenhouse gardening, is an effective way to mitigate stress and anxiety, helping to prevent these feelings from taking control of a person’s life. In this article, we’ll explore the many benefits of greenhouse gardening and guide you on how to get started.
The Science Behind Gardening and Stress Relief
A meta-analysis was conducted to explore the effects of gardening on human health. While the results varied among subgroups, the positive impact of gardening was clearly observed and highlighted. Gardening undoubtedly offers a myriad of benefits, particularly in regards to reducing depression and anxiety symptoms.
Benefits of Greenhouse Gardening
While traditional gardening is a great option, especially for homeowners living in mild to moderate climates, greenhouse gardening offers more flexibility and versatility. This gardening approach has been a popular gardening method for the past decades and has gained even more traction over the years as more and more individuals become highly conscious of what they eat. Some benefits of greenhouse gardening include:
- Extended or longer growing seasons
- Ability to cultivate a diverse range of plants year-round
- Controlled or optimum growing environment
- Protection from predators and pests
- Gardening more sustainably
- Growing plants without dangerous pesticides
- Containing beneficial insects
- Lower food bills since you can grow food throughout the year
- Save water
Connection with Nature
Greenhouse gardening provides consistent nature interaction. Nature exposure is integral for improving a person’s mental wellness. Being surrounded by your favorite plants – their vibrant colors, refreshing smell, and the tranquil feel of the enclosed garden environment, can significantly do wonders for your health and overall well-being.
Spending time with nature allows you to become aware of your senses, making you more present and alert. It helps you focus on what you must do now instead of dwelling on uncontrollable events that make you feel stressed and anxious.
In addition, nature is also a significant source of natural light, which stimulates vitamin D production. People with low vitamin D levels are generally more susceptible to depression and anxiety, so increasing your intake of this vital vitamin is imperative.
Therapeutic Aspects and Mindfulness
Greenhouse gardening is a powerful form of mindfulness and meditation. Gardening increases your physical activeness, as you need to engage in various activities such as weeding, cleaning, planting, digging, and watering. Regular movement or exercise helps increase the production of the happy hormones known as endorphins and decreases cortisol and adrenaline levels, or the stress hormones.
Greenhouse gardening also increases your concentration and makes you more mindful of your surroundings. Not only are you focused on the task at hand, but you are also aware of what’s happening around you and how you feel. You can regulate your emotions better, enabling you to respond to them more productively and healthily.
Practical Tips for Starting Your Own Greenhouse Garden
Regardless of whether you have a green thumb, here are some helpful tips to help you build your greenhouse garden.
- If this is your first greenhouse garden, plant easy-to-grow plants.
- Invest in quality greenhouse kits or materials
- Implement pest-reducing habits
- Keep your greenhouse clean and organized
- Select the correct orientation and location for your greenhouse
Endnote
Finding moments of calm and peace can be challenging, especially with all the various responsibilities a person has to juggle. Greenhouse gardening provides a healthy and efficient way to manage stress and keep anxious feelings at bay. Take note of these valuable pointers when starting a greenhouse garden, and don’t hesitate to seek professional guidance if necessary.