The best thing I can do every day to support my mental health involves nothing more arduous than stepping out into my garden.
Nature heals, calms, soothes, grounds me and delights me.
I didn’t always fully appreciate these gifts, but like many of us, the enforced social isolation of lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic turned my garden into my world.
Living with cancer has shrunk my world too. The routines of treatment, symptom management and monitoring, have reduced my scope for spontaneous travel and wander. I can’t resist these necessary restrictions, so I have instead chosen to focus on the wonder of my own garden. As a result, though my world has become smaller, it is deeper.
I like to think of this space as my little Eden. Here everything is provided, requiring nothing more of me but to tend it – with the help of an excellent gardener, Caroline, of course. She has created the kind of planting that guarantees me surprises every day as well as attracting more bees and butterflies.
Though I am not a talented gardener – my knowledge is patchy, my physical skills limited – the garden invites me to be creative, to visualise its potential not just for my immediate gratification, but for future generations too.
Each time I plant a tree (and I aim to plant at least one a year) I assert hope for a future that I might not be part of. For me, that is the very best legacy.
During Mental Health Awareness Week I’ve been reflecting on the things I can do to support my mental health while living with cancer. I’m keen to connect with others living with cancer – to share experiences and ideas. Email me at [email protected]
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