Caring for yourself: A guide to personal wellness rituals
In the modern world, self-care has become an essential practice, shifting from a luxury to a necessity due to the pandemic and widespread burnout. Celebrated thought leaders such as Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Arianna Huffington, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Tracee Ellis Ross are among those advocating for self-care, emphasizing that it's not about indulgence, but about giving oneself permission to rest, hydrate, nourish, and say no to draining activities.
One unexpected yet powerful form of self-care is gardening. Gardening can positively impact various aspects of one's life, including physical, mental, and emotional health. Taking a 3-minute garden break without a phone, focusing on watering, breathing, and observing, can serve as a moment of solitude and self-care.
The Gardenuity community, a group of garden enthusiasts, promotes this idea wholeheartedly. Donna Letier of Gardenuity, for instance, practices self-care daily by playing in the dirt and caring for plants. She stresses that "self-care is not selfish" and is critical for overall wellbeing.
Small gardening rituals, such as misting tropical plants, serve as moments to practice gratitude—a practice neurologically linked to reducing anxiety. Gardening moments can also be intentional moments of self-care that foster a sense of connection and growth. The Gardenuity community considers these activities as quiet, natural ways to boost mood and wellbeing.
The company itself identifies as a wellness-oriented brand, even receiving doctors' prescriptions for gardens, indicating a recognition of gardening as a therapeutic practice. Practical tips like using a syringe to water plants during vacations reflect a commitment to consistent plant care, which further supports the therapeutic cycle between nurturing plants and nurturing oneself.
Common self-care practices shared by experts and the Gardenuity community include:
- Engaging regularly in gardening tasks (e.g., planting, watering, misting)
- Using gardening moments as opportunities to practice gratitude and mindfulness
- Viewing gardening as a therapeutic ritual that supports mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Maintaining plant care even during absences to sustain connection and routine
These practices collectively position gardening as a tangible, accessible form of self-care grounded in nature’s nurturing qualities.
Using herbs from one's garden, such as adding mint to water, sage to a facial steam, or rosemary to dinner, can also be a form of self-care. Starting a container garden can reconnect a person to nature and the joy of nurturing.
The phrase "You Deserve This" emphasizes that self-care is not something that needs to be earned and can become second nature. Scheduling 10 minutes daily for oneself with no agenda and no guilt is a suggested self-care practice.
International Self-Care Day, celebrated annually on July 24, is an opportunity to pause, take a deep breath, and make space for oneself. It's a reminder to care for ourselves like we would care for our plants, for when we care for ourselves, everything we grow flourishes.
- Gardening, a therapeutic practice, is positioned as a tangible and accessible form of self-care that can positively impact physical, mental, and emotional health.
- Engaging in gardening tasks, such as watering, misting, and planting, can serve as opportunities to practice gratitude, mindfulness, and nurture one's emotional wellbeing.
- The idea of self-care is emphasized as essential for overall wellbeing, with experts likening it to taking a moment to breathe, hydrate, nourish, and say no to draining activities.
- Utilizing herbs from one's garden, like adding mint to water, sage to a facial steam, or rosemary to dinner, can also be a form of self-care, providing a reconnection to nature and the joy of nurturing.
