Gardening for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Featured
Stoicism is not a virtue - so said a wise woman recently and I felt something inside me chime.
So many of us live, often unconsciously, by an outdated, patriarchal, and plain unhelpful (if not dangerous), edict that there is merit in our keeping quiet, not ‘making a fuss’ and being stoical; that we should be ‘sweetness and light’ and get on with life without creating a disturbance; that women are supposed to be ‘ladylike’ and that it’s unattractive to be angry.
Well stuff that!
As someone with a history of depression, anxiety and panic attacks I’ve found ways in my normal life to manage myself well - to be as good as I can be for my family, and myself of course, and many of these activities involve being out making daily contact with others, getting support, being part of a community.
If it wasn’t for Coronavirus we’d all be beginning to celebrate spring and this morning I was musing on this as I walked and feeling annoyed. We’ve all survived the winter and normally this would be the time for heaving a great sigh of relief and hefting off the shackles- there is so much that is lovely going on out there. Instead we’re having to dig even deeper to maintain our equilibrium and protect our mental and physical health and loved ones.
We’ve had a series of grey days but I’ve kept my eyes open to the small joys that are around. In this post I’m sharing six winter-flowering plants that are doing their thing right now in deepest January.
A quick look at some of the things I’ve done that have helped me to have a better winter this year. Usually the dark, and cold, get the better of me and my mood gets quite low. This year I took action in advance, and throughout, the early winter months and so far, so good…
As autumn deepens and winter moves ever closer I muse about the ways in which I can support myself and feel a sense of wellbeing. What is wellbeing anyway?
Hello and welcome. I’m Sarah and my business, Growthfully, is all about empowering women like you to create gorgeous gardens and grow wellbeing, confidence and self esteem along the way.
Today is so called ‘Blue Monday’ (a PR exercise for a travel company it seems, dating back to 2005 but useful all the same) and I’m wondering how you’re feeling.
I’m not feeling too blue actually but I did have a bit of a melt down at the weekend and which me realise that I’d been tolerating too much without expressing it. There’s a lot to tolerate at the moment and the rats in our roof are just one more thing!