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Support Your Mental Health From Your Garden to Your Table

Gardening and Cooking, How Does Your Garden Grow Better Mental Health? How Gardening and Cooking can Support Your Mental Health From Your Garden to Your Table.

Let’s face it: Many of us are extremely busy all of the time. So busy, in fact, that it can be very hard to take a break from our various responsibilities. And because we don’t take breaks, we build up stress. The build up of stress has a negative impact on our mental health. But we feel like we are too busy to do anything about that.

And that cycle just keeps going around.

That is why we are big advocates of hobbies. An engaging hobby can help you rest and recharge—lowering your stress levels and improving your mental well-being. We are such fans of hobbies as a way to manage stress that we believe you should put time to engage with your hobby directly into your schedule. After all, your important meetings and activities go in your planner, right? Since we are making the case that hobbies are important activities, they should go in your planner, too.

But maybe you are not sure what sort of hobby might be right for you. The options are practically limitless, but for this blog entry we want to focus on two individual hobbies that can also be interconnected: gardening and cooking.

How Does Your Garden Grow Better Mental Health?

Maybe you have never considered gardening as a hobby. It might sound more like work than a way to relax. But gardening can, in fact, be a wonderful and rewarding way to recharge. 

Planning what you will grow, how you will grow it, and how you might arrange your space can all be diverting questions that take you away from your daily stressors while engaging your creativity. That is true whether you decide to grow vegetables, flowers, decorative plants, or some combination of all of those things. 

And when you are out working in your garden, you get some additional benefits. First, healthy exposure to sunlight provides vitamin D, which is known to support your mood (among other health benefits). Additionally, gardening turns out to be a good source of exercise—one that might be more appealing to you than heading to the gym or running on a track (though those can be great options, too). 

If your current living situation doesn’t give you many options for planting a garden, you might investigate community gardens in your area. These collaborative spaces offer the benefits of gardening on your own while also offering a social component that can be enjoyable and supportive of good mental health.

How Cooking Can Be Part of the Recipe for Better Mental Health

If you decide to grow vegetables, you have an opportunity to add cooking to your hobby list. After all, you don’t want to let that produce go to waste. Like gardening, cooking allows for creativity—even when you are following a recipe. Everything you cook is uniquely yours, and there are always more dishes to try (or even to create!).

And cooking also supports sociability, which is good for your mental health as well. Sharing a meal with friends and family is a wonderful way to strengthen relationships. Of course, cooking can also be a social activity. Sharing the kitchen with someone you enjoy being around can be a joy—and the results can be delicious for everyone. Plus, it is always nice to have someone ready to help with the cleanup!

And if you decided to grow flowers instead of veggies? Your garden can still contribute to your enjoyment of cooking. Fresh-cut flowers make excellent table decorations.

We Provide Personalized Care for Mental Health Disorders

While we believe in the importance and value of hobbies, we can assure you that our work is no casual exercise. At Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health—located in Johnstown, Colorado—we are committed to providing individualized treatment to those struggling with a mental health disorder because we know good mental health is essential to maintaining a good quality of life.

We provide a robust range of services for individuals struggling with one of the various forms of depression, an anxiety or panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more. Additionally, we offer treatment for substance use disorders and are equipped to treat those with a dual diagnosis involving both a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder.

Maybe you have been reluctant to pursue treatment for a mental health challenge. Many people feel hesitant for a whole range of reasons. But better mental health is possible to achieve—and it has so many benefits for you and for the people in your life. When you are ready to make a positive change, we are ready to help you reach your mental wellness goals.

Learn more

About programs offered at Johnstown Heights Behavioral Health

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