Nourishing Your Personal Garden
Growing up my parents had a huge garden where they grew, and continue to grow, a lot of the food that we ate. I watched my parents as they worked to create a healthy source of food for our family. My dad would use natural fertilizers and mulching techniques, long before organic was a trend, to keep the soil balanced and healthy. It was a stinky and laborious process every fall and spring to haul in the manure, leaves, and other composting materials and integrate them into the soil, but the end result was a rich, dark soil that was fertile and rich in the nutrients needed for a healthy garden and bountiful harvest.
My parents’ garden is often overflowing with fruits and vegetables that pay tribute to their hard work, their nourishment of the soil, and their patience during the growing season. Sadly though, sometimes the conditions outside their control, weather, and availability of water make the process difficult and frustrating. They can do all those things and the payoff is just not what they had hoped. They didn’t get award-winning tomatoes, zucchinis, or squashes; does that mean that the effort was in vain? It might feel like it at the moment, but then the next season rolls around and my dad is out there spreading the manure and tilling it into the ground and my mom is shopping for the seeds to plant that will, hopefully, make this year one of bounty.
Now, I imagine some people may be wondering why I’m rambling about soil in a post regarding mental health. I’m a big fan of using metaphorical language to help connect concepts in ways that resonate with my clients. Many of my clients are struggling with trying to produce a bountiful harvest, be that happiness, success in their relationships, or feeling worthy of love and compassion; often focusing on the results and not the process. Helping them frame their experience as one of work, building fertile soil, and then enjoying the fruits of their labor as they continue to add sustenance to their being, physical and emotional, can provide a perspective of what to expect on their therapeutic journey.
Are you willing to work to create a well-balanced soil, put in the hours of stinky and difficult work to create your own bounty? What would it be worth to you to feel like you can create a sense of accomplishment, pride, and sustenance within yourself? Would feeling less anxious, sad, self-critical, and negative be worth it to you? Work to find ways to nourish your soil, tend to your plants, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Build the nutrients in your soil by adding the things that bring you joy, peace, and harmony.
- Spending time with people that are supportive (friends, family, co-workers)
Engage in an activity that feeds your soul ( mindfulness, hobbies, exercise, spirituality)
Challenge the self-doubt and negative self-talk that stops you from engaging in your life in a meaningful way.
Create experiences that highlight and support your personal values
Work to disconnect from distractions or interactions that don’t add value to your life
Set personal boundaries that prioritize your needs over those of other people, as you can’t give more than you have to offer.
Find meaning and connection through genuine, vulnerable, and authentic relationships.
Have fun! Find a way to let your inner child shine and play.
I hope you all have a beautiful and fruitful season of growth. If you’d like help on your journey, please reach out and be put in touch with someone that will work hard to help you as you build up your soil and plant your garden will the things that bring you joy.
