Lifting yourself up during lockdown
… and in winter
The sadness I feel when the skies become grey is immediate. When winter is here; when the trees look barren and dead and when I can’t hear birds or animals rustling in the trees; that’s it. The days are short and due to lockdown, we can’t leave the house much at all. It’s more than a tad depressing.
However, after years of mental illness and therapies, and experience working from home, I have found a way to lift myself up, just a little. For those who experience depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or “mid-winter-blues” to any degree – you could benefit from the following.
Plants!
Plants can be incredible for mental health & consequently epilepsy. I personally discovered this by chance. 7 years ago I was very unwell, but I purchased a few plants. All I can say is: “Wow”. Back then and to this day, they have continued to help me chill, distract me from awful thoughts, and give me focus.
Plants need your love. They:
Give you purpose;
Help you relax;
Make you move around and get that blood flowing;
Bring some regularity to your week (or even your day, depending upon your plants and climate);
Don’t talk back to you!
Common thoughts and answers:
I don’t have a garden! You don’t have to leave the house to enjoy plants. Instead, you can have indoor plants!
I don’t have enough space for a plant! For those with tiny flats/rooms, you can have tiny plants that grow slowly - e.g. cacti.
I don’t know where to put them! You have time - you can move the pots around and get creative!
I kill plants! You probably over or under-water them. Set reminders to yourself to check if they need watering! Check they have the right light too. Make sure they aren’t too hot or too cold.
On those bad days in winter, when the trees outside just look just like a few crusty twigs; in my living room, I have beautiful plants flourishing.
Tips:
Choose evergreen plants that retain their leaves during the winter;
Turn your houseplants around regularly (or they become lopsided!);
Think about what you’d like to see in the following seasons and plan accordingly;
Try not to compare your garden to anyone else’s – instead, appreciate yours;
When some plants don’t make it, remember that this happens to all of us!
Enjoy and nurture nature at home – the positive payback is immeasurable! Love plants and they’ll love you back.
See here for my other blog about plants.
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Torie Robinson
Note: This article is not a substitution for any therapies or prescribed medications, instead just a tip regarding something that has helped me personally and is proven to be of benefit to many. See your GP if you have prolonged negative thoughts, or indeed hallucinations/hear voices.
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