Want to connect better with others? Just start gardening

Gardening is one great way to connect with nature. And research say spending time in nature can even help fight chronic diseases and relieve stress.

Spending time outside is good for your body and mind you may have heard this health mantra many a time and experienced the benefits too. When you feel stressed out or bored, just step outside and see how your mood changes.

Nature's healing power is immense. Research say spending time in nature can even help fight chronic diseases, relieve stress and depression, promote faster healing, stronger immune systems, etc. And gardening is one great way to connect with nature. Now let's explore the many benefits of gardening.

Helps Connect with Others

Gardening is also an opportunity to connect with others, who has the same passion/hobby. When gardening becomes the common topic of discussion, there's so much to talk about. Not only they can share the nuts and bolts of gardening, but the emotional and spiritual connections they experience with their gardens/plants.

You learn to practice acceptance

Most of us try to control things that we can't, which lead to more suffering. Learning to accept the limits of our control and the unpredictability of life can you attain a peace of mind. And experts say gardening is the best way to practice acceptance.

Helps you move beyond perfectionism

Perfectionism is a risk factor for many mental and physical health problems. Perfectionism can lead to self-defeating thoughts or behaviours that make it harder to achieve goals. Trying to make things perfect can cause stress, anxiety, depression, frustration, and other mental health issues. In addition, it can make you missed deadlines and opportunities, as well as affect your relationships.

If you're vulnerable to perfectionism, gardening could be a good remedy. Despite being very carefully and doing all you can, sometimes your garden gets invaded by bugs, inclement weather, hungry rodents. This teaches you that pursuit of perfection is a waste of time.

Developing a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset allows you to learn from mistakes and move on, rather than crying over things that is already gone. When something doesn't work out the way you had hoped, take it as a learning opportunity rather than as a failure. These are the characteristics of a growth mindset. And gardening is a great opportunity to develop a growth mindset.