Do you know that 5 minutes of gardening improves both self-esteem and mood as well as making you feel more tranquil, generous and hopeful*?
To me this is both surprising and makes so much sense. I know when I go out to tend my potted garden in my back yard, I quickly feel better than before I went outside and wonder why I don’t get out there more often. In the summer, we might need to start a lot earlier in the morning when the air is refreshing.
- Marylee, Potted Desert Gardener
- Let’s Go Out and Just Sit
Give it a try — go outside and if your garden is one plant or 100, spend 5 minutes tending them and see how you feel. Take a break during your day and I bet you that you will come back inside energized and ready to go!
*A Study in the Journal of Environmental Science & Technology
Marylee is the Desert’s Potted Garden Expert. Email her with comments and questions at potteddesert@gmail.com.
This article appears in May 9-15, 2013.
Yeah but it is 1,000 degrees
Then get out before 9 AM or after 7 PM,
Thanks for observing and sharing this, Marylee. It really works!
There is also something so nourishing about eating food that you have grown in your own (or your neighbor’s or community) garden.
I agree with this, I don’t live in a desert climate, but I always feel better after doing a little gardening – whether it be planting or weeding!
This can be profoundly true. To me, the first task is to choose an aesthetic: what kind of plants make you feel really good when you work with them? In all seasons, try to work partly in the shade (at least have a nearby shady spot to rest in). And in summer, go slow and be sure to drink lots of electrolyted liquid. Doing this kind of work and watching the results as you go is literally a life-saver for ome of us.