Finding Balance As A Busy Professional: Utilize Gardening To Improve Your Overall Health
By Maria Cannon
Men and women who are busy career professionals often have a hard time leaving work at the office and taking care of themselves at home. There always seems to be one more email to answer or one more report to review. Making time for self care and physical exercise can be a challenge, but some people find that taking up gardening provides the perfect change of pace from office life.
Gardens don’t have to be big to be beneficial to your health
The Evening Sun explains that for those who think that they do not have time to do much outside of work and other commitments, starting small with landscaping or gardening may be the way to go. Luckily, gardening doesn't have to be a massive, time-consuming project. The great thing about this hobby is that it can include big or small projects depending on the gardener's space, time, and vision.
Pittsburgh Magazine reinforces the concept that gardening doesn't have to be complicated or take up a massive amount of space. Business career professionals who want to embrace the health benefits of gardening can succeed with a small, simple garden as long as they do some planning ahead of time. Some people love to spend time in their garden every day, but a space can still turn out nicely with some basic attention invested every weekend instead.
Choose a space and plant varieties that can flourish in the time you have available
When you are putting together a small garden, look for a space that you will enjoy and remember to confine your plans to a modest area. You can always expand down the road, but if you start with too big a space, you may begin to feel frustrated that you cannot keep up with the maintenance that needs to be done. Observe the area throughout the day to see what kind of sunlight it gets and figure out what types of plants will thrive there.
Other gardeners and folks at garden shops can be a great resource for getting started and keeping things simple. Focus on building a weekend garden, suggests Grace Garden and Homestead, utilizing seedlings that will grow without too much fuss and will work with your space and time commitment. If your goal is to garden only on the weekends, for example, be prepared to weed each weekend and choose plants that do not need frequent watering.
Your physical and mental health can improve substantially via gardening
Is gardening worth the time investment, even if you limit yourself to a weekend commitment? Many long-time gardeners would say that it certainly is worth it, as there are benefits that go beyond having fruits and vegetables on hand or having a nice-looking yard filled with flowers. If your daily work life is stressful and jam-packed with commitments, gardening can give you an excuse to focus on yourself and practice some critical self care.
Spirituality & Health explains that embracing an activity like gardening can be an essential strategy for reducing tension and shifting your mindset. A hobby like gardening not only provides exercise that improves your physical health, but it serves to reduce stress, combat depression and addiction, and improve your mental health too. U.S. World & News Report adds that gardening helps to increase your creativity and productivity, valuable skills that can translate back to office life.
Professional work life is stressful for many people in today's society and it can become all-consuming. Many people find it difficult to decompress at home and this can cause issues with both their physical and mental health. Gardening is a great hobby that can counter the stress of a professional career. It can be done with a minimal time commitment if needed, but it can provide a significant boost to one's overall health.
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