Green Care

By Pricilla Carrizosa. Pricilla Carrizosa is a Mental Health Peer Educator, and currently majoring in Social Work, she will be transferring to California State University of San Marcos in the fall as a Graduate Student pursuing her Master’s in Social Work.

Holistic therapies, such as green care, are starting to become more well known and suggested by doctors and therapists. Green care is a type of therapy where you are exposing yourself to gardening and plants. I’ve always liked to garden since I was a child, but as an adult I’ve made so many excuses as to why I didn’t have time to do it. That changed a few months ago when I had an appointment with my doctor to discuss my anxiety and mental health. I had recently begun to experience more severe anxiety due to personal life events and my doctor suggested a few holistic treatments to try that included new vitamins, guided meditation, and gardening. She explained how spending more time outside increases your serotonin levels which can help improve your mental health and aid in depression and anxiety. 

The more time I spent outside and tended to my plants the more I started to feel a sense of peace. My garden is a work in progress, much like my mental health journey. It’s not perfect, but each day I work towards making it better.

A few things to consider when starting a garden: 

• Watching your plants grow and thrive is such a rewarding feeling, but don’t be too hard on yourself if a plant ends up wilting! 
• Mistakes happen, and all we can do is learn from them and carry on. Being in the sun and soaking in vitamin D is great for your body, but just remember to wear sunscreen to prevent sunburn. 
• It’s also important to remember that gardening is not a cure for mental illness, so please continue to seek mental healthcare from a doctor and/or therapist in conjunction with green care.