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gardening and mental health

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  • artjakartjak Posts: 4,167

    Verdun, I'm sure you would be brilliant with people with mental health issues; let us know if /when you decide to get involved with this organisation.image

  • richhondacrichhondac Posts: 222

    its also good for stress

  • artjakartjak Posts: 4,167

    I agree that it is good for stress and the weird thing is that whatever huge challenges I set myself gardening-wise, they never give me any stress.

    Talking on the phone to a friend yesterday I told him that I had spent the previous day on my knees digging up claggy clay with a crow bar. He is about 10 years younger than I and he was amazed; gardening keeps you physically fit and I strongly believe that being healthy in your body can really help the health of your mind.

    What is good for the heart is good for the brain.image

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,109

    Couldn't agree more with what's already been said. A garden becomes a sanctuary if you feel stressed.

    Verd - that book will always be treasured  and it must give you a lot of comfort knowing that. That loss won't leave you or your family but finding a meaningful  way of dealing with it is a huge part of the recovery.  It's easy to suffer from 'analysis paralysis'.

    I understand completely about the writing itself being therapy pd. Putting it all down on paper is very cathartic and somehow it gives your thoughts clarity, instead of them just going round in your head. 

    You can feel lonely in a room full of people - in  a garden you're never lonely.

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,038

    Verdun, one of the things that CBT has taught me is, too not spend time looking inwards, procrastinating, as this tends to cause a downward spiral; bad thoughts lead to more bad thoughts etc.

    The idea is that we all do it, but depressed people tend to do it more and that therefore you should only allow yourself a fixed time period in a day when procrastination is allowed.

    It might seem daft, but it is possible, with practice to limit this dangerous time. Now if I am aware I have been doing it for too long I, make a conscious effort to go and do something, even if it is just a walk around the garden, this will then trigger constructive thought. 

    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800

    I can relate to a lot of what is being said too and having had CBT can agree with Punk and totally relate to FG on the 'feeling lonely in a room full of people comment'.  We also become very good at hiding it and even my husband didn't know about the dark place I was in.  I write in a diary when I have negative thoughts or troubles, I don't think anyone but me will ever benefit from it.  I would love to read your books Punk so please get writing when you feel able image

    In the garden you can be allowed to lose yourself in thoughts that take your mind away from problems with no interruptions and I love that.

  • rosemummyrosemummy Posts: 2,010

    agree wholeheatedly, have  a bit of a tendency towardsdepression and sress myself, always used to have horses and go out walking in debyshire a lot being outside and treees and plannts always helped now i have my own garden and can't afford to ride i love being outside still and love the sense of achievement i get when i manage to make the garden look good, as a stay at home mum it's something i can do that astually may be noticed,it's nice to feel i can do something other than childcare laundry and housework!

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,038

    There is something about gardening, where even small amounts of effort, bring noticeable improvements. So when your mind is in a place, where you feel a failure in your life, a spell in the garden seems to provide evidence to the contrary.

    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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