It’s apparent how the COVID-19 crisis has posed a threat to people’s health and well-being. Not only has it risked public health, but it has also taken away the lives of people.
While the various strains of the novel coronavirus have compromised the physical bodies, the pandemic restrictions have led to mental health issues. These include psychological distress, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and even substance abuse.
It’s good that many households have found ways and means to cope with the pandemic. They have carried out household chores, pursued home improvement projects, and performed outdoor landscaping. They have gone as far as playing indoors, adopting and purchasing pets, pursuing hobbies and interests, and learning digital skills.
But on top of all this is home gardening. Many individuals and families have enjoyed growing plants and shrubs and maintaining their gardens during this pandemic. That said, here are the health benefits of outdoor gardening in the new normal:
- It keeps you physically active
It’s great if you have a vast backyard in your residential property. As such, you can transform your outdoor space into a garden. You can start planting and growing shrubs, flowers, herbs and vegetables, and even fruit-bearing trees. However, it can be a tedious task to install sod, aerate your soil, apply a mulch, fertilize the garden, and perform the actual planting. Even maintaining your garden can be daunting. But fret not, as outdoor gardening can keep you as physically active as possible. That way, you won’t have a sedentary lifestyle which can be detrimental to your health.
- It makes you feel good and happy
Home gardening can promote your overall mental health. Imagine going outdoors, basking under the sun, communing with nature, and talking to your shrubs with blooms. Doing so can make you feel good and happy for some reason. If you’re wondering why this is so, it’s because sunlight exposure releases your happy hormones called serotonin. This hormone can uplift your mood and keep you calm. Even looking at the blooming flowers and vast greeneries can be therapeutic for your mental health.
- It reduces your stress, anxiety, and depression
In line with releasing happy hormones, outdoor gardening can significantly reduce your stress. That’s why many individuals and families have resorted to going outdoors, getting exposed to the sun, and savoring nature. Home gardening helps them cope with the pandemic, especially if they start to feel overwhelmingly stressed out. When they manifest signs of anxiety and depression, it can keep them busy and preoccupied. Hence, outdoor gardening can affect their mental health, thus helping address their emotional and psychological issues.
- It boosts your social interaction
The pandemic restrictions have initially forced individuals and families to stay indoors. As such, they have compromised our social interaction with other people. But what’s good about home gardening in your backyard is that you can spend quality time with your family. But aside from this, you can even communicate with your neighbors who are also doing outdoor gardening. You can even go as far as participating in community gardening while maintaining social distancing. Ultimately, home gardening can boost your social interaction amid the pandemic.
- It provides your family with healthy foods
On a practical note, it’s a good idea to plant and grow herbs, dark green leafy vegetables, and even fruit-bearing trees in your garden. Doing so provides you and your family with food supplies during this pandemic. Yes, you can put some healthy and nutritious foods on your table. As you’re the one planting, you have the assurance that your foods are safe and healthy. In the end, outdoor gardening doesn’t only address food insecurity, but it can also foster your health and wellness.
- It boosts your property’s curb appeal for peace and relaxation
For the most part, homeowners set a garden in place to boost their properties’ curb appeal. Along with this is to increase their home value for the long term. However, a garden’s aesthetic appeal can provide you and your family with peace and solitude. It’s best to have a deck or patio facing your garden for outdoor fun and relaxation amidst the COVID-19 crisis. In the end, your garden does more than meets the eye.
At this point, you now know how home gardening can foster your health and well-being. Consider the health benefits discussed above, from staying physically active to boosting social interaction to having peace and relaxation.
As such, it’s a good idea to engage in outdoor gardening in the new normal. But with or without a pandemic, it can continue to provide you with several health benefits. Hence, commune with nature and let your garden promotes your overall health and well-being.
