It’s true today we humans are spending way more time indoors than out of doors; more than ever before in history actually. The time we spend in contact with the ground, grass, dirt and soil is even more limited. We used to keep gardens for our sustenance. We tilled the ground to harvest food we truly needed to eat. Until recently we human beings, have always been in direct contact with the earth. Instead, us modern humans remain indoors to work, and to play. Today’s working men, women and families are experiencing higher levels of stress and busier schedules than ever before.
Spend time in contact with the ground, grass, dirt and soil
Getting into contact with life refreshes our own lives
Have you noticed how relaxed you feel after a day at the beach? The sound of the waves, the salt water, the physical activity of walking along the shore or being tossed around a bit by the waves, all of these elements work together to calm your mind and your body.
In the same way, getting your hands and even your feet dirty in a garden teeming with life can do a lot for a stress levels and for our connection to the earth. Getting down on our knees and digging through rich soil is a great way to take some “me” time. This isn’t work but it sure is productive! A garden is very busy producing life, and getting into contact with this life refreshes our own lives.
It’s not only a mental relief that gardening offers us, but a scientific reason exists as well. Because of the busy lifestyles we lead, we spend too much time on our computers, iPads, tablets or smartphones. The bright light exposure can throw off our natural rhythm that allows us to fall asleep easily and stay asleep for the minimum of 8 hours. Our crammed full schedules also keep our minds moving and stress builds. When our body doesn’t deal with stress regularly it turns into physical inflammation in our bodies.
We can’t be our whole selves with our mind in a dozen places and never fully living where we are. Getting your hands dirty provides a connection with nature that tells your mind to stop running. Literally the positive ions running around our bodies we call “free radicals” do lots of damage if not neutralized. Touching the soil and sitting on the grassy ground gives your body the negatively charged ions from the earth, and acts as a neutralizing and calming force to the free radicals wreaking havoc in your body.
Getting your hands into the garden soil is easier than it sounds.
Build a simple wood frame an anchor it to the ground with dowel rods as stakes. Line it with mesh and fill with pre bagged soil to keep your garden slightly raised. Begin with pre-potted herbs and build your garden from there. Composting is easy with an outdoor plastic storage container like a rubbermaid box. Drill some wholes near the top in each side to allow for air flow, and mix in your coffee, crushed egg shells, banana and apple peels and many other types of kitchen scraps. Just don’t add acidic fruits or vegetables.
Make it a Great Day in your Garden!
The Make it a Great Day Bag has been a great tool in our garden.
We keep the bag packed with necessary items in our storage shed ready to take to the garden: Our gloves, Spray Bottles, Hand Tools, sunscreen, and knee pad.
It’s time for you to get in contact with the earth to reduce your stress and get your mental focus back.
We’ve been talking about ways to control our To-Do list and reduce stress. We even discussed how to make sure you are taking care of yourself and getting enough down time for just you! Now, be all of you for the people who matter to you most. Make it a Great Day!
Looking for more ideas on how to stay connected to nature? Check out our post Make it a Great Day with your Family at the Beach!