We have asked our customers to share a wellness hack that has massive impact on their lives and we will be featuring a selected participant every month. Paula Teader from Manchester a has kindly shared her top hack to support her mental and physical health.
Paula Teader
For the love of gardening!
I am 53 years old, and during the pandemic, with four teenagers at home, I needed to be outdoors as much as possible (I’m sure many were in the same boat). This was when my passion for gardening flourished! I just loved being outdoors in my scruffs and wellies, hair unkempt, whatever the weather.
I can’t profess I had the best knowledge of plants, but simply digging, weeding, potting, planting and learning kept me physically active, my mind busy and it was (still is) a huge help to my energy levels and general mental wellbeing. Not only do I love the freedom and sense of peace and calm being outside gives me, but there is so much delight in watching all your efforts blossom. And I now know a lot more plants too!
I even got the kids to help me create our own little outdoor garden boudoir… which in fact was an old car port. We planted climbers over the roof and walls, put large and small pots with a variety of shrubs at either end and then upcycled some old wooden pallets to use as shelves to put small plant pots (and a few used wine bottles!) in.
For me, gardening is now more than a hobby, it is where my mood and energy levels positively shift, and feelings of anxiety or stress disappear. It has helped me explore my own creativity, find comfort in solitude and embrace the scents and sounds all around me. It is of no surprise that numerous studies state the benefits of gardening in improving physical and mental health for all.
