How Plants Ease Boredom During Lockdown

When life slowed down for all of us, we found ways to be more productive. A lot of people turned to nature to relieve stress and boredom. That’s when the gardening craze “plantdemic” started.

LIFE HAS CHANGED

From the time when the pandemic started and cities have been placed on lockdowns and quarantines, almost all of us stayed home. I say almost because our health workers and front-liners still needed to be out doing what they do best, which is caring for the sick. These frontlines are also making sure that we, the rest of the population, are safe from contracting the virus.

Life changed and slowed down for all of us. We started to appreciate the little things more. Something that we do not usually do when everything was fast-paced and we needed to hustle to earn a living. It’s been a year since the lockdowns and the quarantines started. Many trends had come our way. People became more active in social media because it was also the only means to communicate with the “outside world’. It was the only way you can talk to your parents and relatives stuck or stranded somewhere because of the restrictions. And because of this, the people ran out of things to do. As so they say.

Even so, since we do not give up that easily, we thought of ways to ease the boredom and the anxiety that we were feeling because of what was happening around the world. This left many of us baking, journaling, selling, planting, and appreciating nature more.

PLANTDEMIC

This is the term used to dubbed the gardening craze that has been spreading all over the Philippines. We discovered and developed hobbies that could help us cope with the restrictions and protocols during the lockdown. My friends have been flexing their plants on social media more often than ever. Some even post photos of plants unfamiliar to them asking others to classify them. The demand for houseplants has boosted in a matter of weeks as people wanted to spruce up their homes. Gardening stores and plant shops have been running out of flower pots!

In addition, children started doing planting activities in their homes as projects and school requirements. Plant prices soared. However, the downside to all this is that some resorted to thievery. A report said those plant thieves nearly wiped out the famous monstera plants that have long been populating parts of Baguio City’s recreational areas. Several sellers scour the mountains and forests to get specific plants that customers demanded. Plant poachers, unfortunately, also exist.

PLANTS AS THERAPY

Horticultural Therapy is a method that relies on plants and gardening to help people overcome health issues. It can greatly help those with high blood pressure, individuals battling with depression, addiction, anxiety, and those who are survivors of abuse. Seeing and constantly being around plants helps people feel more calm and relaxed. It helps a person decrease their level of anxiety.

A friend of mine said that it makes her feel more productive when she is around her plants. Whether you are at home or at work, being around plants can help improve your memory, attention span and it can also help increase your concentration. Surrounding yourself with plants can reduce your stress levels and boost your mood.

My sister-in-law explained how planting and growing her garden helped her during this time. She said that she was even more excited to wake up every morning to see if there is any progress with her plants even though she just planted them a day before. She was looking forward to the harvest of course. Moreover, what makes her really happy is seeing how nature works and how each element around us affects the plants as well as their growth. She enjoys the process of growing and planting more. The way she talks about it was so entrancing. It was like seeing it in her own eyes. You see, she just gave birth when the lockdowns started and we all know how difficult that must have been for her.

One friend of mine said that before the pandemic, she hated planting. During the lockdown, she began learning the basics and now she discovered a passion for it. She also said that every morning, she feels like a proud mother looking at her waking babies (blooming flowers). Her dilemma now is that she needs more space for more plants.

The neighbor of mine, I’ve noticed, has rearranged her garden for once or twice already just this month. It is a good way to pass the time and enjoy nature all at once.

Wrapping Up

Indeed, plants are not just for ornaments but also for many other purposes. And apparently, we take notice of these simplest things when we are at our worst.

Have you also taken notice more of the greens around you these days? I would be happy to read your responses.