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Having spent my whole life with a huge passion around horses, when I got sick and lost a subsequent amount of weight I was faced with the reality that riding was not something I was able to do anymore. The horses were all turned away (for anyone not horsey this basically means turned out to grass) and the temptation to even try and ride was gone.
I’m not a person with my ADHD tendencies to do anything by halves so having them stabled with facilities close by I would just keep trying to ride and then would end up flaring for days and struggling to get out of bed, none of which was helpful whilst trying to heal both my body and my mind.
So with the horses turned away and feeling that gaping hole I needed to try and find something to fill that void in the form of a hobby or a little passion project. Through therapy I also started to learn that this ‘void’ I felt was a whole bunch of unmet needs I was trying to mask with things to keep me occupied and distracted, so there was an element of me that really needed to sit with it.
This revelation aside I needed a little bit of healthy focus so off I went with my hyper focus to find something appropriate. I have always been a person that will give anything a go, back in my 20’s I had a little shop called ‘Patches & Pickles’ and would make all sorts of things out of fabric and sell them at a local village market. Doorstops, bunting, draught excluders you name it i’d have a go at making it off the cuff (I’ve never been one to follow instructions). I’ve also focused a lot of energy in to art having studied it in school, music, another started in my school years, jewelry making, there have been MANY things that have caught my attention briefly but nothing compared to what I have now found.
To give this some context, when we lost our home back in September 2024, finding somewhere to live was very rushed. I didn’t have the opportunity to say yes, say no, think about it, there was a huge amount of pressure. We found a little semi detached house through a friend that in truth I wasn’t enthralled with but I just said yes! We moved in in October and I struggled so much to bond with the house despite hours of painting, planning, interior design and picking up and up cycling lots of furniture, but no matter what I did this place just didn’t feel like home.
Fast forwards to March this year and the sun started to show small signs of appearing and the garden that has just been seen as a hassle to keep on top of through the colder months started to take new form. I realized quite quickly that the garden in this house was a HUGE sun trap and my time all of a sudden went from being cooped up indoors to spending more and more time (albeit still wrapped up) outside.
I had some longstanding plants that had moved with me, Bay Trees, a small Olive Tree, a Eucalyptus and a few very abandoned Lavender plants, I started incorporating them in to the garden space and giving them some TLC and within weeks they ALL started to thrive in this new environment.
For my 40th birthday in April I was given a beautiful Jasmine plant by Arabella and a French Lavender from my mum and all of a sudden I realized that I had a little of a hobby going on here. Fast forward again to May and I had this wave of inspiration that I wanted to grow some food, and as I physically heal and can broaden out my diet I could then reap the rewards of my hard work.
I headed out to B&M and picked myself up a little plastic greenhouse, some seeds, pots and compost and set out to getting my little Veg Patch set up.
Day one I went in to ADHD hyperfocus building and potting up all my seedlings, I sat on the lawn for near enough five hours utterly fixated, and best of all completely taken away from my reality of being ‘sick’ and ‘thin’ and ‘broken’.
By the end of the five hour session I had planted all the seeds, the greenhouse was built and I put them all to bed with a really good water and went to bed excited for the first time in what must have been six months.
The back of the packets had indicated that nothing much was likely to happen for 7-14 days but by day five there were shoots appearing and I felt that beautiful feeling of achievement inside myself, it was like I came back to life briefly from the darkness I had been consumed with for so long. As the days passed, more and more shoots appeared and the seedlings were starting to flourish in to little plants. I continued to visit them 3-4 times per day, water them well and build up the warmth in the greenhouse.
At about the three week mark I had the sudden realization that though successfully growing all these young plants, I had nowhere to actually put them when it was time to transfer them out of the greenhouse. I made a sketch, went and had a chat with a chap at my local DIY store and ordered the wood to make my own 7 meter vegetable patch over what derelict border was already there, and got to work.
As the weeks have gone on, the plants have continued to flourish and I have been filled with a huge sense of achievement which has been beyond powerful as I work towards healing my mind and my body from years of trauma. There are new seedlings back in the greenhouse and the plants In the veg patch are thriving. (I share lots of updates over on my instagram)
What I didn’t realize when I embarked on this hobby was the scientific research in to how spending time in nature, grounding and soil all have enormous benefits to the human body. I have shared some of that research below for anyone that likes the ‘science bit’
1. Natural Serotonin and Dopamine Boost.
Getting your hands in the soil is known to keep depression at bay.
This has been proven by research. Making contact with the earth, and a specific bacteria in the soil called Mycobacterium vaccae, actually triggers the release of serotonin and dopamine in the body, in turn boosting our immunity and raising our spirits.
Serotonin, of course, is a feel-good chemical that fights depression.
And it’s been shown that dopamine is released when we harvest our own food. Researchers believe this chemical reaction in the body could go back 200,000 years to when our hunter-gatherer ancestors felt elated at finding food sources!
So sometimes, it seems, we need to take off our gardening gloves and have direct contact with the soil to boost our mood.
2. Gardening is powerfully rewarding
There’s nothing better than feeling the power of nature around us. The joy of watching seedlings grow is nothing short of miraculous.
But we’re quite like plants ourselves! We too need Vitamin D from sunlight to keep well – in fact, it’s essential for many bodily functions. Studies have shown that being outside in the sunlight and having enough Vitamin D in our bodies can reduce our risk of certain cancers, diabetes and even dementia. It also helps us sleep better.
3. Gardening helps improve sleep and mood
A strong link exists between low mood and insomnia. If we can’t sleep well, then our brains just don’t function properly. But an afternoon’s gardening can be quite strenuous and can promote a good night’s sleep. Raking, digging, chopping and mowing are all superb forms of exercise that will tire out our muscles, relax our brains and help us to sleep at night.
4. Gardening stimulates our senses
Being in the garden is a wonderful way to stimulate our senses – all of them!
The beauty of flowers and trees fills our eyes; we’re often surrounded by buzzing bees and the sound of delightful birdsong; we can smell the beautiful fragrances of fruits, vegetables and flowers; we can touch the many different textures of the plants around us; and we can taste the delicious and natural foods we grow.
When our senses are stimulated in the relaxed setting of our gardens or allotments, our minds start to slow down and feel calm.
5. Barefoot walking regulates stress
Many studies have been carried out into the advantages of walking barefoot in the garden. Walking barefoot has actually been linked to the development of the brain and nervous system, proving that it’s great for young children to run around and explore barefoot in the garden.
The thick skin on feet is designed to keep pathogens out, so we shouldn’t worry too much about germs. Research has also shown that walking barefoot can regulate stress responses and boost our immunity.
What a beautiful way to reduce stress. Letting the grass touch your skin doesn’t just feel good; it really is good for our physical and mental health.
6. Gardening improves self esteem
According to ‘Healthline’, studies in the United States have shown that gardening offers improvements in both self-esteem and mood.
Many people have found that their anxiety levels drop, they feel less depressed and their state of mind improves when they’re gardening – and these effects can be long-lasting too. It seems we were meant to be outdoors and growing food and other plants.
There are six really valid and pretty powerful science backed reasons why spending time in the garden with your hands in soil is incredibly powerful for the mind and body. I know on my own healing journey that this has been an invaluable way to reconnect me to the earth.
Love and Light as Always
Georgie x
findinglyla.com 
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