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Gardening is good for mental health and is an excellent therapeutic hobby. And while you may not be great at growing things, still there are a number of benefits that you can derive from gardening.

One of the positive things you can get from a gardening hobby is that it can inspire you to develop simple yet effective good habits that can improve your life.

Here are 7 simple yet effective good habits that you can develop as inspired by gardening.

1. Drink water

Water is required for plant survival. It is also one of the most basic things that we, as humans, require to survive.

Most of us, however, prefer to quench our thirst with soda and other beverages. Because of the sugar and caffeine content, soda is an addictive drink of choice, and it is preferred over water.

However, in order to live a healthy lifestyle, we must drink plenty of water. Water not only keeps us hydrated, but it also keeps our bodies running smoothly. Water performs the following vital functions in our bodies:

The general amount of fluid intake, which includes water, food, and other beverages, is 2.7 liters for women and 2.7 liters for men.

The amount of fluid consumed, however, varies depending on the following factors:

If you want to get into the habit of drinking water, gradually replace your soda consumption with water.

For example, if you normally drink soda after meals, try drinking water after one meal for a week. Drink water instead of soda after lunch and dinner the following week. And so on until you no longer have a preference for soda.

It will also help you to have a water bottle within reach or to carry around so that you are reminded to drink up throughout the day.

2. Get enough sunlight

Getting enough sunlight is another important factor for plants to grow and bear flowers or fruits. Gardeners understand this basic rule and plan the area where they will grow their plants based on the amount of sunlight they require.

So, taking a cue from plants and gardening, another good habit that we should develop is regular sunlight exposure. To ensure that our bodies function properly.

Sunlight allows the body to produce vitamin B3 for-

In addition to these benefits, researchers discovered a link between sunlight exposure and lower blood pressure levels, as well as lower death rates from cardiovascular disease.

Furthermore, sunlight improves our sleep and circadian rhythms by regulating the levels of melatonin and serotonin in our bodies.

Finally, adequate sunlight exposure improves our mood by allowing our bodies to produce beta-endorphins. This substance relieves pain and provides a general sense of well-being.

3. Learn something new

Gardeners are known to provide their plants with fertilizer in addition to water and sunlight. This is because the soil in which they grow loses nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The nutrients in the soil can be replenished by adding fertilizer, allowing the plants to grow healthy.

So, just like soil, we need to fertilize our minds in order for them to grow and improve. Continuous learning is the fertilizer we require.

It is thus a good habit to learn something new on a regular basis, if not daily.

How do you develop the habit of lifelong learning?

Be curious. Take Albert Einstein’s advice and never lose your holy curiosity. Always be eager to learn new things. Here are some things you can do to satisfy your holy curiosity.

Read

Go ahead and read anything that interests you. In whatever format, whether it’s an ebook, audiobook, physical book, an article, a blog post, an essay, or poetry. Just read.

Because reading is the simplest and most effective way to learn new things.

In addition, reading allows you to gain insight into how others think and feel. You will be able to broaden your knowledge. Get an idea or a different perspective.

Moreover, reading allows you to think in new and creative ways. So, if you’re just getting started with your learning habit, pick something to read.

Travel

Traveling to a new place is another way to learn something new if you have the means and opportunity.

When you travel, you open yourself up to new experiences. You are open to learning a new language, experiencing a new culture, trying new foods, and making new friends.

This willingness to try new things allows you to learn, grow, and improve yourself.

Shake things up

To keep learning, you also need to do something different. Get uncomfortable.

Learn about subjects that are especially uninteresting to you. Improve in areas where you believe you are weak. Find out if you have any hidden talents.

Join a small group for public speaking, for example, if you are afraid of public speaking. Take up an unusual skill, such as marathon training, if you are not into physical activities.

Don’t become complacent about your abilities and skills. Be proactive in your search for new opportunities to develop and improve.

Keep an open mind

Even if other people’s opinions or perspectives differ from yours, don’t dismiss them.

Keep an open mind and hear what others have to say. You can learn about their thought process and see if their ideas make more sense than what you have.

Having an open mind allows you to gain insight. Experiment with new things. Practice critical thinking and accept or revise incorrect or outdated beliefs or information.

As a result, keeping an open mind is an essential component of continuous learning and development.

Get physical

According to research, being physically active makes you more receptive to learning. So use this as motivation to get moving—exercise, dance, shoot some hoops, or go for a walk around your neighborhood.

4. Generosity

Plants absorb just enough water they need in order to grow. For this reason, their pots have drainage in them so that extra water can seep out and therefore avoiding root rot.

Thus, the habit we can derive from this gardening fact is that of generosity.

Developing the habit of generosity is not only good for those who receive the goodwill but is most especially beneficial to the giver. 

The benefits of generosity are the following:

5. Plan

Planning is an important aspect of gardening. Because it enables the gardener to plan what and where to plant in order for it to grow the best or yield the most harvest.

Having a plan helps us to stay on track towards our goals. And so, planning is another habit that we can learn from gardening.

Making planning a habit allows for the following:

6. Get rid of weeds

Another important factor in gardening is getting rid of weeds.

Weeds compete with your plants for resources such as nutrients, space, sunshine, and water. If they grow and multiply, they will stunt the growth of your plants and will even lead to killing off your plants.

It is therefore important as well in life to develop the habit of weeding. Or getting rid of things that compete with your resources such as time, money, or attention.

Develop the habit of being focused and avoiding distractions. Distractions abound especially in this age of the internet. Often we find ourselves spending hours on social media or streaming services that affect our productivity.

How to develop the habit of being focused? Here are some tips for you to try:

7. Optimism

There is no assurance that the seed you plant will grow to become a beautiful flower or provide a bountiful harvest. But knowing that you will benefit from your hard work and trusting in your ability to grow things is rooted in optimism.

Optimism is another good habit that we can learn from gardening.

Optimism doesn’t mean you see the world in rose-colored glasses. It simply means that despite the bad things, you allow yourself to see the positive side of it. Thus, optimism allows you to cope and deal better with the ups and downs of life.

Developing the habit of optimism allows you to experience the following benefits:

Here are some ideas you can try in order to develop the habit of optimism.

Seek to better understand your interpretation of a “bad” event.

Sometimes events are not bad in and of themselves, it’s more of our interpretation of the event that makes it bad. So it may help to step back a little before reacting to something.

Focus on solutions

Don’t waste time and energy in finding who is at fault and who should take the blame. This process does not help and will only make you focus on the problem.

Finding a solution to a problem is the optimistic approach. This trains the mind to think in terms of solutions and to progress to more productive tasks and activities.

Be mindful of the company you keep

Make friends with people who share your positive and optimistic outlook. Avoid people who constantly complain and lead your mind to negative thoughts.

Accept things you can’t control

Know that there are things you can and can’t control. Keep in mind that things will turn out just fine.

Reframe negative thoughts

When your mind wanders to negative thoughts, learn to become aware of them. And then ask yourself the possibility of the negative thoughts actually happening.

Often it’s just our natural tendency to the negative that has led us to the thought. Once we become aware of it, we can then redirect our minds to more positive thoughts.

Summary

Gardening is a pleasurable experience with numerous advantages. Furthermore, it motivates you to form good habits that you can use to improve your life.

Here are 7 good habits you can develop inspired by gardening:

  1. Drink water,
  2. Get enough sunlight,
  3. Learn something new,
  4. Generosity,
  5. Plan,
  6. Get rid of weeds, and
  7. Optimism

Please share your thoughts or ideas about 7 Good Habits To Develop (Inspired By Gardening) in the comments below. And if you liked this article, you might be interested as well in these articles:

Why Good Habits Beat Motivation
How To Define Yourself By Your Habits
9 Simple Habits You Can Learn From Vampires
9 Effective Habits For A Happy Life

Building Good Habits For Your To Be
How To Break 9 Bad Habits That Keep You Down
7 Tips On How To Develop A Persistent Habit

15 Good And Simple Daily Habits You Can Do To Improve Your Life

Outside resources:

How much water should you drink?
Why soda is so addictive – and some good alternative beverages
How Much Water Should You Drink Per Day?
What to know about the health benefits of sunlight
Habit of generosity
10 Reasons Why Planning Is Important

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