How a Garden Break Can Clear Your Mind
That's not to say working at home doesn't have its challenges. Experts point to issues like time management, which goes two ways. Some of us are easily distracted and others don't know when to stop. Inc. magazine points out that you need to pay attention to "self-care" because WFH is a "big transition" and you might feel "any combination of lonely, isolated, stressed, frustrated, anxious, unmotivated."
Experts say that establishing a regular schedule is an important form of self-imposed discipline that will help both the over- and under-motivated and will give our day a natural rhythm. Regular breaks are recommended. We propose a new behaviour of daily gardening breaks to get us outdoors and give us the ability to commune with nature. Through that we are able to dial down stress and create a sense of calm and well-being. The emotional values of gardening are well- established, as is the power of green space in our lives.
We recommend that you organize your schedule around at least two gardening breaks. These breaks will re-charge you, inspire your imagination and give you the ability to make new and creative connections. It's why the great writers and poets, including Shakespeare, have spent so much time there. In fact, Shakespeare mentioned 175 different plants in his plays.
Depending on how your day is structured, your gardening breaks can be first thing in the morning, mid-morning, or mid-afternoon. They can be as short as a restorative 15 minutes. As the days lengthen, we suggest you add a third break right before dinner or before bed. There is nothing as peaceful as standing in the garden as the sun makes its journey on towards the horizon, and that special light casts its glow.
Here are three different kinds of activities we recommend for your garden breaks.
Just Connect
Step outside with no task in mind, other than the sheer bliss of appreciation. Look at the garden in a new way, observe the miracle of the structure of a leaf, watch the lazy circling of a butterfly. Freud said that "Plants are restful to look at it. They have neither emotions nor conflicts." Do you think we have enough of them? Nah.
We guarantee you will return to your desk more relaxed, less ready to fire off an intemperate email and more full of gratitude.
Start New Life
Planting is a gesture of faith and promise, a creative act and a commitment to take care of something – all of which taps into something deeply human. It could be a new plant or you can take cuttings from the plants you already have. One plant that is easy to propagate is a jade plant – you basically just have to break it off and shove it in some potting mix.
We find it illuminating that Lincoln once said: "I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow." You'll find that starting new life will detach you from the stress of your own life.
Care for Something
Gardens don't take care of themselves. However, the amount of work they require is more than amply rewarded by both the temporary serenity it provides and the immediate glory of seeing the results. When your hands are dirty, your mind is clear. You'd be surprised how much you can accomplish in just a 15 minute gardening break. Whether it's feeding your raised bed or container (second commercial intervention), or deadheading your annuals to create new flowering energy, or pruning a shrub that is taking over a corner of your yard, it's a gratifying experience.
That feeling of accomplishment will inspire you to extend the experience. Maybe you'll offer a hand of caring to a colleague who feels isolated, or perhaps you'll take the occasion to extend your pruning skills to an email or PowerPoint - as you recognize the power of less.
We hope you'll be encouraged to add gardening breaks to your new WFH schedule. They'll reduce frustration, improve your problem-solving skills, make you feel less disconnected, and at the very least, keep you away from the snack drawer.
Cut Yourself Some Slack
Working from home can be a big transition. You might feel any combination of lonely, isolated, stressed, frustrated, anxious, unmotivated—or on the other hand, relieved, relaxed, energized, or productive. It's all OK and normal. Any transition takes time to get used to, so try to be easy on yourself.