1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,480 Welcome to Gardening with Ben, the podcast where we dig into the soil of 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:09,160 our gardens and the depths of our green funds. I'm your host, Ben, 3 00:00:09,359 --> 00:00:12,839 here to guide you through the joints of gardening, from sowing seeds to 4 00:00:12,919 --> 00:00:18,280 reaping bountiful harvests. Each episode will explore tips, tricks, and tails from 5 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:24,800 the garden and allotment, sharing insights from ourself and stories from our own back 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:29,719 garden adventures. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just getting your hands dirty for 7 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:33,960 the first time, there's something here for everyone, So grab your brew and 8 00:00:34,039 --> 00:00:40,600 gardening gloves and let's get growing. With Gardening with Ben, Hello, and 9 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:45,920 welcome to Gardening for the Mind, the podcast where we cultivate not just our 10 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:51,159 gardens, but are our mental well being. In this space, we explore 11 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:56,840 the tranquil and therapeutic power of gardening and how it interwines with our mental health. 12 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,439 This episode is a journey through as soothing world of plants and nature, 13 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:07,439 uncovering how the simple act of gardening can nurture our minds, uplift our spirits, 14 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:11,959 and bring harmony to our lives. Whether you are season gardener or just 15 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,519 starting to plant our first seed, join us as we delve into the calming 16 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:22,680 and restorative effects of connecting with the earth. Let's grow garden together. Now, 17 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:29,640 let's turn the soil and turn our minds into peace. So welcome to 18 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:36,319 this episode of Gardening with Ben. I hope you're all enjoying these episodes. 19 00:01:36,359 --> 00:01:41,200 This week. We're having quite a few pre recorded so that you've got episodes 20 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:47,159 popping out regularly for you all to listen to. So yesterday we talked about 21 00:01:47,519 --> 00:01:53,319 the best garden magazines out there to read and the benefits of behind the garden 22 00:01:53,319 --> 00:01:56,719 magazines, So if you've not listened to that episode, make sure you do 23 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:02,599 have a listen. And today's episode were to be talking about mental health and 24 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:10,360 gardening. And this is something that's very close to my heart because I do 25 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:16,840 struggle with mental health and I'm openly saying that, and yeah, I do 26 00:02:16,879 --> 00:02:23,120 struggle a lot. And the mental health side of it is that I struggle 27 00:02:23,159 --> 00:02:29,960 with is a lot of the time loneliness and living on my own and not 28 00:02:30,039 --> 00:02:35,199 seeing many people. And I struggle around that, and that's one of the 29 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,479 reasons why I go on TikTok a lot, going live on there so that 30 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:43,719 I can chat to people and see people, or I'll often go out to 31 00:02:43,759 --> 00:02:46,919 the pub just so that I'm not in the flat on my own, as 32 00:02:46,039 --> 00:02:52,759 it does get lonely being on your own. And one thing that does help 33 00:02:53,199 --> 00:02:57,680 with my mental health is going to my a lotment, go into my garden. 34 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:00,919 I haven't got a guarden myself, but I've got my allotment, so 35 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:08,159 it's like ten to fifteen minutes drive and I'm at my allotment. And one 36 00:03:08,199 --> 00:03:12,680 of the things that was where I moved out from my parents is whether I 37 00:03:12,719 --> 00:03:15,479 want to carry on having my allotment, even though I'd have to commute further 38 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:21,080 to get there, And that was one reason behind it. I didn't want 39 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,840 to give it up because it's that open space, that open bit of land 40 00:03:23,879 --> 00:03:30,599 where I can just go and enjoy being out in the fresh air. And 41 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,520 obviously I work shifts, so I work night shifts a lot, so sometimes 42 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,400 i won't go out for like four days because I'm on night shifts, and 43 00:03:38,439 --> 00:03:40,919 I'll only see the dark because by the time I wake up, it's dark 44 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,159 again, and when I'm going to bed, it's dark, so all I'll 45 00:03:45,159 --> 00:03:47,840 see is dark, which isn't very good for the mental health and for the 46 00:03:47,919 --> 00:03:53,319 mind. So that's one of the reasons why I do love having my allotment 47 00:03:53,520 --> 00:04:01,199 is because obviously I'm outside in the fresh air and peace with the birds around 48 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:05,639 me. And there's nothing better than being in the garden listening to the birds, 49 00:04:05,719 --> 00:04:10,840 looking at all the wildlife, seeing the new things what are popping through 50 00:04:10,879 --> 00:04:15,520 the ground, even if it's a weed, You're seeing new bursts of life 51 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:18,480 coming through into the garden. And it does help your mind a lot. 52 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:26,120 And gardening is so good for my mental health. I can't believe how much 53 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,800 it does help. Once you've been out in the garden, being out in 54 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,959 the allotment for an hour, your mind certainly does feel a lot better because 55 00:04:34,439 --> 00:04:40,480 you switch off when you're gardening. You're just digging away, feeling for the 56 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:45,319 worms. And if you're like me, I like to do gardening bare handed. 57 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:47,759 I never like to have gloves on. I like to get the soil 58 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:53,000 between my fingers, and even if they do get mucky and filthy, I 59 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,959 like to get the hands in the soil. And the art study is that 60 00:04:57,079 --> 00:05:00,759 it is good using just your bare hands for digging and getting them into the 61 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:08,560 soil. And obviously gardening it is good for stress relief and relieving that stress. 62 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:15,079 Whether it's hitting wood into the ground, whether it's even if you're getting 63 00:05:15,079 --> 00:05:18,879 a bit frustrated, just get a hammer out and smash some wood up or 64 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:25,680 just dig some ground up. It's a good destressor being out in the garden. 65 00:05:26,519 --> 00:05:30,519 And obviously there's now certain things that you can do. You can have 66 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:39,240 sensory gardens with special sensory equipment and stimulations which help all the five sensors for 67 00:05:39,319 --> 00:05:43,879 mental health benefits. So if that's something that you want to look at sensory 68 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:49,519 garden information online, it's not something that I know about. Hopefully need to 69 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:54,680 start looking about a sensory garden. Stuff that i'd be very interesting for me 70 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:59,000 and what benefits it can do for you. Maybe that's something I need to 71 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:05,000 start looking into and doing it more. And obviously when you're growing your own 72 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:12,120 fruit and vegetables as well, Yeah, growing fresh produce and fresh produce and 73 00:06:12,439 --> 00:06:16,199 healthy produce is also good for the brain and for the mind and stuff like 74 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:24,519 that as obviously. I've also one of the times I went to the doctors 75 00:06:24,759 --> 00:06:28,800 and I thought I was struggling a lot, and they said it was because 76 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:33,120 I've got low follic acid and that can affect the brain and the well being. 77 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:38,160 And they said to start eating more greene broccoli and stuff like that. 78 00:06:38,519 --> 00:06:43,040 So growing your own produce helps that way as well, and it's good for 79 00:06:43,079 --> 00:06:48,319 stuff like that. It can even help with your anxiety and depression because, 80 00:06:48,959 --> 00:06:53,000 like I say, just switch off. When you're down at the allotment, 81 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,839 you just turn off. I've got my music listening to, I've got my 82 00:06:57,079 --> 00:07:00,279 favorite tracks, and I'm not thinking about anything. When I'm guardening. My 83 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,800 mind just switches off. I'm lighting a different zone. It's a bit like 84 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:08,959 meditation, a bit yeah, like yoga. You switch off when you're doing 85 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:13,319 it. You're up in your mind and you just listen to the nature around 86 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:17,240 you. And that's why I tend to go to the allotment as much as 87 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,759 I do. And sometimes I don't even do any gardening when I'm down at 88 00:07:20,759 --> 00:07:25,720 the allotment. I'll admit that sometimes I don't do anything. I'm just sat 89 00:07:25,759 --> 00:07:31,800 there on my nice new chair which I've purchased and sitting in and you seating 90 00:07:31,879 --> 00:07:36,720 area, just sitting there, just watching the allotment and just looking around and 91 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:42,399 taking in all the nice colors and all the beautiful things around me seeing all 92 00:07:42,399 --> 00:07:46,000 the bees flying around. I've put my bird feeders up so it's attracting the 93 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,399 birds to it. I can just sit there and look and enjoy them. 94 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:55,399 So if you do struggle with your mental health trying to track that wildlife to 95 00:07:55,439 --> 00:08:00,439 your allotment, I've spoke about it in one of my Plots podcasts, trying 96 00:08:00,439 --> 00:08:05,319 to track some whilred life to your plot and again seeing all the different wildlife 97 00:08:05,319 --> 00:08:09,839 popp into your allotment while you sat there just looking it amazes me. And 98 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:13,160 we've got the Big Bird Count coming up as well, the Big Bird Watch 99 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,279 coming up soon. So the more birds that he's starting to get into your 100 00:08:16,279 --> 00:08:22,680 plot, you can help count them birds and submit them to the RSPC A 101 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:28,279 I think it is, but you can submit them. But yeah, without 102 00:08:28,279 --> 00:08:31,920 my allotment, I don't know what I'd do. If I didn't have my 103 00:08:31,959 --> 00:08:35,360 allotment, I'd just stay in my flat all day. I wouldn't do anything 104 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,679 like say send in my podcast yesterday. I've not been to my allotment for 105 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,440 a couple of days, so I've not left my flat and it's awful. 106 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,039 It's norful not going to your allotment. And the reason behind it is because 107 00:08:46,039 --> 00:08:50,519 it's freezing cold. I could have actually gone if I wanted to, but 108 00:08:50,639 --> 00:08:52,440 I thought it was freezing cold. I'll have a lie, I'll stay in, 109 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:58,639 I'll do some jobs at them, I'll record these podcasts. But yeah, 110 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,879 it's awful not going out and not seeing anybody. So that is as 111 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:09,799 so good. But I'll struggle with mental health poorly for years to come. 112 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:13,759 But the more that you can do to help it, the better you can 113 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:20,240 do. So if you're struggle with mental health, get out in that garden, 114 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:22,159 even if it's just for fifteen twenty minutes a day to do a bit 115 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:26,120 of weeding or a bit of sweeping, or just going around touching the leaves 116 00:09:26,159 --> 00:09:35,200 and feeling for nature. It's definitely worth while. So yeah, I'll probably 117 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:39,039 go a bit more into my mental health issues later on in the podcasts, 118 00:09:39,639 --> 00:09:45,039 but that's just a little area and a little insight into what I struggle with. 119 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,600 It's not I don't always talk about my mental health issues. I know 120 00:09:48,639 --> 00:09:58,720 we should do more. Even the doctors are looking at prescribing people onto gardening 121 00:09:58,799 --> 00:10:05,519 courses they've seen me and getting them into gardening because it is proven that gardening 122 00:10:05,799 --> 00:10:09,320 is good for the mental health. So watch this space. More and more 123 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:13,240 people might getting into it, and it's good that people are getting into it. 124 00:10:13,279 --> 00:10:16,679 And at the end of the day, like I always say, you 125 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:20,679 get fresh produce from it as well. So keep trying, keep getting out 126 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:24,159 of that garden, keep enjoying it, even if it's cold. Just go 127 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:28,200 out in the garden for a bit. And remember, keep smind, keep 128 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:35,000 shining, and keep gardening with Ben. Everyone, And that wraps up another 129 00:10:35,159 --> 00:10:39,480 episode of Gardening with Ben. Thank you for joining me in this journey. 130 00:10:41,039 --> 00:10:45,960 Remember, every seed planted is a step towards a greener world, and every 131 00:10:46,039 --> 00:10:50,440 day is a chance to grow something beautiful. Keep nurturing your gardens and your 132 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:56,480 souls. Until next time, I'm gardening with Ben, reminding you to let 133 00:10:56,519 --> 00:11:01,200 your garden be your sanctuary. Happy gardening, and see you in the next 134 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:07,639 episode. Remember keep smiling, keep shining, and keep gardening with Ben.