Getting out into your garden in the depths of winter is great for your mental health so much so some people call it the ‘Natural Health Service’.
January in the garden can be cold and the days are short but regularly getting into your plot for a few minutes can significantly improve your mood and your energy levels, give you a much-needed boost of vitamin D and improve your outlook as you look forward to a productive gardening year.
A natural antidote to winter
When it is freezing cold outside staying inside in the warmth is tempting, but it was the famous rambler Alfred Wainwright who said, ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing’. So, get wrapped up and head out into your garden this winter because studies have shown getting outside in the winter can significantly elevate your mood and reduce stress levels. It is a natural antidote to winter! And what better place to go than your garden.
Get Vitamin D – nature’s way
Amongst other things Vitamin D is thought to help prevent the symptoms of depression in winter and as our bodies cannot store it, we need to get regular amounts. Getting outdoors on a crisp, sunny winter’s day is a good way of getting some natural vitamin D.
Increasing happiness
It is official, getting out into your garden can make you feel happier, it does this by taking us away from the stresses and strains of daily life, helps us forget work or family problems and worries, and it gets us out from under the feet of our loved ones. It also connects us to nature and by doing that makes us more mindful.
Battling Blue Monday
‘Blue Monday’ is the third Monday in January, and it is thought of by some people as the most depressing day of the year. But gardeners know that being outside tidying, pruning, digging or planting makes us feel more positive and lowers the chances of depression.
Physical exercise in your garden is good for mental health
One of the best ways of improving your mental health in winter is outdoor exercise. Why not do some physical work in your garden and it will save you gym fees! There are plenty of jobs you could do. Consider doing some digging, or double digging if you are feeling really motivated. Repair and paint outdoor furniture, structures and fences, or get started on a big landscaping project. This will get your blood flowing and exercise your joints and muscles and in turn will give you a feeling of wellbeing and create a forwarding looking outlook as you imagine how your hard work will reap rewards later in the year.
Amongst other things, the very act of gardening in winter makes you look to the future. Almost every job you do in the garden is to help prepare for the coming months, of spring and summer and this will boost your mental health.
