Cultivate Your Mental Health This Winter

Gardens allow us to get outside connect with nature in a meaningful way

Those who garden know something that others may not: the act of working with nature to cultivate something beautiful is transformative and uplifting. Image Conscious/Shutterstock

This year more than any other we’ve been reminded that access to outdoor private space is a privilege—not all of us have a home with a garden. But many of us have also spent more time outdoors in nature this year and felt a greater sense of connection with the trees, plants, and the natural world.

With this in mind, I’ve pulled together some tips on how you can nurture your mental health through nature. These ideas will work for all gardens (both public and private)—from the smallest patch to a stately home.

Reflect

Nature connects us in complex ways. And stopping to think about this connection is one way you can get in tune with the natural world around you. In your garden or local park, walk a path that has been walked before, you could choose an ancient path and consider all the people that have walked that way before. Or choose a route you have walked with someone you care about.