Planting Seeds for Your Mental Health

 

Early Spring in Northern Ontario can be a tough time for our mental wellbeing. The winter blues can still be holding on. We lose an hour of sleep in the time change. Outside it is chilly, windy, wet, with brown snowbanks, garbage from the melted snow collects on city streets and lawns are yellow. Blah!

 

This Spring has been derailed with political stress that no one was expecting. Our days have been filled with frightening news of a trade war and aggressive statements towards Canada’s sovereignty and now a second snap election with in a few months. The international conflicts and unrest tear at our hearts. 

 

One of the things that usually brings me joy in early spring, that I almost completely forgot about because I was glued to the news, is to start some seeds indoors. Thankfully a friend brought it up in conversation and a local greenhouse’s social media post was the inspiration I needed to get started this weekend.

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Here’s some of the ways that even a little indoor gardening can improve your wellness:

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• Researching what you want to plant, sourcing your seeds and supplies then planting, watering and watching are activities that distract you from daily stress and worries.

• Carving some time out of your routine to do an activity you enjoy is good self-care.

• More and more evidence shows that interacting with plants and soil reduces anxiety by releasing endorphins.  

• Having some responsibility to nurture something that needs your consistent attention to grow can grow positive feelings of hopefulness, anticipation and accomplishment.

• Once those seedlings do start to grow there is evidence that plants, even small ones, can improve the air quality of your home.

• Social benefits come with discovering that others in your circles are also having a small Spring adventure, getting seeds to grow indoors.

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Remember that if your early seedlings don’t grow or you miss your window of opportunity, all is not lost. Don’t be discouraged. It is very likely you will have learnt something new in the attempt. Just wait, before long garden centers in the north will be selling their seedlings, and they are the pros at growing cool things for your garden or patio. Later in the spring, in late May, you get another chance to sow those seeds directly into your outdoor growing spaces which gets us out into nature with all its mental wellness benefits.

 

Happy Planting,

Jolene

2025.03.23