What does hypnotherapy have to do with gardening and plants
- Sara Carson
- Jul 23
- 4 min read
🌿 What Gardening & Plants Can Teach Us About Mental Health
Gardening, like mental health, takes time, care, and seasons.
Sometimes it’s about pulling weeds, sometimes it’s about letting things lie fallow — but it’s always about staying connected. And sometimes, the quickest way back to yourself is through dirt under your nails and the quiet rhythm of nature.
Because healing isn’t always found in big breakthroughs or loud solutions — sometimes it looks like clearing space. Like pruning gently. Like watching something finally take root.
We often want healing to be instant. But like the garden, we need the winter as much as the summer. The resting time. The quiet, still periods that seem like nothing is happening — yet under the surface, new growth is preparing itself.
🌧 Weathering Life’s Storms
Plants don’t thrive because the weather is always kind. They thrive because they’ve learned to adapt to it.
Rain softens the ground so roots can drink. Storms shake the branches but strengthen the stems. Even snow blankets and protects the soil, allowing seeds to rest before they bloom.
Just like us — our hard days aren’t signs of weakness, they’re part of the process. Emotional storms test our roots, yes — but they also teach us how to hold firm.
Nature models resilience. It shows us how to survive harsh seasons and begin again. We can learn to bend without breaking. To recover after we’ve been blown sideways. We don't grow despite the storm. We grow because we made it through.
🌱 Clearing the Weeds
Not everything that grows in a garden belongs there.
Weeds aren’t inherently bad — they’re opportunistic. They fill space. But left alone, they tangle around new shoots, suffocating potential before it has a chance.
Our minds collect weeds too: Old fears, critical voices, other people’s expectations.
Sometimes we’ve grown used to them — they’ve been there so long we forget they’re not part of us.
But we are allowed to clear the space. We are allowed to ask, “Is this helping me grow?” We don’t have to fight the weeds — just remove what doesn’t belong, so our inner garden has room to thrive.
🌼 Composting the Rubbish
Even the stuff you want to throw away — the pain, the grief, the anger — can be broken down and transformed.
In the garden, waste becomes compost. And compost becomes nourishment.
In healing, the same thing happens. Old wounds can become wisdom. Scars can become soil. Grief can soften into depth.
This is emotional alchemy. What felt useless, broken, or messy can — with time and process — become rich fuel for your growth.
The brain and body remember everything, but when we consciously repurpose those memories — when we speak, cry, create, move — we start to break down the weight. We integrate rather than suppress. We compost what we can’t keep. And we use it to grow something better.
Mental health isn’t about pretending the bad never happened. It’s about letting the past become a foundation, not a prison. You are not made of rubbish — you’re made of resilience. And what you’ve carried can feed your future.
🍂 Pruning & Boundaries
It’s okay to cut things back. In fact, it’s necessary.
Some branches stop fruiting. Some friendships stop serving. Some habits, beliefs, and routines simply drain more than they give. Pruning isn’t harsh — it’s kind.
It allows the plant to redirect energy into what matters most. It's what we sometimes do with the people in our lives who drain our own energies.
We forget that with mental health, too. We try to do it all. Be it all. Please everyone. Show up even when we’re drained.
But when your roots are starving and your leaves are dropping, the solution isn’t to “try harder.” It’s to tend to yourself first.
You have limits. You are meant to. Self-care is not indulgence — it’s intelligent gardening.
You wouldn’t expect a plant to flower without water or light, or provide both by itself. You can’t keep giving when your own soil is dry. Boundaries are sunlight and shelter. They help you thrive. Boundaries are what see you through the drought.
🌄 Science Meets Soul
This isn’t just poetic — it’s scientific.
Nature-based therapy and horticultural healing are gaining global traction. Here’s why:
Being in nature reduces cortisol (your stress hormone)
Just 20 minutes outdoors can lift mood, sharpen focus, and lower blood pressure
Gardening has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms by 25–30%
Soil contains Mycobacterium vaccae — a naturally occurring bacteria that boosts serotonin and eases stress
So when you slow down to match the breeze, when you plant something with care, when you witness a tiny sprout become something strong — you are doing deep nervous system work. You are regulating. Restoring. Rebuilding.
🌻 And Finally…
You don’t have to live in a cottage or grow vegetables to reap these rewards. Even one houseplant, one walk outside, one mindful breath in nature is a seed.
And the best part?
You get to choose what to plant. You get to choose what you nourish, and what you no longer want in your mental garden.
Let the storms teach you resilience. Let the weeds show you where care is needed. Let the compost become wisdom. Let your boundaries give you light.
And create a mental health garden of your own — one filled with beauty, space, and the kind of light that lets you grow into your fullest self.
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