How gardens or green spaces can help reduce stress & support physical & mental wellbeing.

Life in the UK is pretty tough right now. In a post Brexit/Covid landscape the cost of living keeps rising, interest rates keep rising & so does the price of fuel.

People across the UK are struggling financially & emotionally to deal with the continued pressure of trying to fathom their way through this challenging time & with ‘recession’ being bounded through media channels, the immediate future is quite bleak.

However, although it is not a miracle answer, as the title of this blog indicates, getting out in a garden or a green space can help your physical & mental wellbeing & here’s how.

There’s growing evidence that gardening can benefit our mental health, an important consideration at a time when the NHS is stretched and one in four adults are experiencing mental illness. (1)

Scientific research has found that spending two hours in nature each week is linked to better health and wellbeing. Taking part in community gardening can also encourage people to adopt healthier behaviours. This includes walking & eating fresh produce, & the evidence base is growing.

With this in mind, the NHS are increasingly prescribing time in nature & community gardening projects as part of “green prescriptions”. (2)

For some people this will be green social prescribing, which links them to nature-based interventions & activities, such as local walking for health schemes, community gardening & food-growing projects. (3)

The UK is not the first to enable those suffering with mental health issues to take advantage of the healing qualities in nature & green spaces. In Japan they have embraced the mental & physical benefits of “forest bathing” or shinrin-yoku for decades.

The term “forest bathing” emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological & psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”). The purpose was twofold: to offer an eco-antidote to tech-boom burnout & to inspire residents to reconnect with & protect the country’s forests. (4)

But how can all of this help you? What can you do if you are feeling overwhelmed by the continued stresses related to modern living? Virtually Smart Ltd have collated a few simple ideas to help you re-connect to a green environment.

Please note: Virtually Smart Ltd are not mental health experts & if you are experiencing mental health issues, please do consult a medical professional.

Garden

If you are lucky enough to have a garden, no matter how big or small; connecting to your green space can be hugely beneficial. Whether you like to idea of growing your own fruits & vegetables or like the idea of a flower garden; gardening can be inexpensive, but hugely rewarding.

One of the biggest gardening projects currently being encouraged is re-wilding or letting at least part of a garden remain wild.

Many companies like B&Q, various magazines like Gardeners World Magazine & even BBC Radio 2; often give away packets of wildflower seeds to encourage gardeners to strengthen their gardens biodiversity. Leaving a patch of unmown grass for example can encourage a wealth of wildlife to a garden, which all helps in the battle against climate change.

Whether you are planting, watering or simply sitting in a garden space, being part of a garden you are involved in is not only great for your stress levels, but hugely rewarding.

Window Box

If you do not have a garden, how about installing a window box. There are many products available which allow people even in flats to have access to a window box.

Planting even a few plants, maybe some herbs or small vegetables not only connects you to something living which you have to take care of, but also can give you access to a small amount of fresh produce. Home grown, even if it is one tomato plant, is hugely satisfying.

Community gardening

One of the Covid19 legacies which has continued to bring communities together, is community gardening.

Throughout the lockdowns & uncertainties at the height of the pandemic, community gardens became a haven for local people, kept them connected to their neighbours & enabled them to feel the benefits of gardening.

During the height of pandemic I would often read about communities taking control of areas of otherwise abandoned scrubland & transforming them into wildlife havens & in doing so creating something wonderful for the community to share.

If you are interested in finding out about community gardens in your area, the BBC online map might be able to help https://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/today_in_your_garden/community_projects.shtml

Walking in Nature

If your lifestyle does not allow access to any of the above ideas, then you could find a way to get outdoors by accessing a local green space or park, a woodland or if possible, a local forest.

As shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing” proves, being immersed in nature has great benefits for your physical & mental wellbeing, as well as reducing stress.

Written & cited by Katy-Jane for & on behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd.