For today's challenge, weed your garden!
Why weed your garden?
gardening seems to alleviate anxiety, depression, and stress, increase physical activity, and enhance a sense of community.
(Weeding Your Way to Better Mental Health, 2022)
Why does weeding in particular help fuel positive feelings?
First of all, it is an activity which requires you to use your hands. Your hands have many more neural receptors than most other parts of your body, so simply using your hands to do anything creates a more intense sensory experience. If you don't have a garden to weed, you could consider pottery, knitting or maybe finger painting! Any of these activities allow you the benefit of a sensory experience which can help calm your mind.
Another advantage of weeding is getting you outside and connecting with nature. Psychologists agree that we can all feel happier by spending some time outside every day. Working in a garden is one way to do that. You can also reap some benefit from working with house plants or even watching nature documentaries!
Finally, you gain a real sense of satisfaction by being able to visually see a difference in what you did. It doesn't take much time, but it is like removing the clutter from your desk. You start with an area that is messy, and in the end you have a beautiful clear space that makes you happy simply to look at and also because you know YOU did it!
So, put on your gloves, and head outside!
Weeding Your Way to Better Mental Health. (2022). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-antidepressant-diet/202205/weeding-your-way-better-mental-health#:~:text=Focusing%20on%20the%20repetitive%20tasks,or%20cognitive%20deficits%20is%20minimized.