The holidays can be a stressful time of year but your Rise Garden and plants are here to help. We have four easy ways to de-stress with the help of your Garden.
Participate in a 5-minute meditation by your Garden
Taking a few moments to breathe and clear your head can do wonders for your mental and physical health. Use your favorite guided meditation, head to our Instagram page to use one of our themed meditations, or simply sit and breathe for a few minutes while you observe your plants.
Take a yoga class by your Garden
Yoga is a great way to de-stress and move your body--especially during the winter months when we are all cooped up inside. Take the class or do a few yoga poses by your Rise Garden for a little extra zen.
Drink your morning coffee or tea by the Garden
Studies have shown that being near plants can help alleviate stress. Take small breaks to visit or sit by your garden throughout the day for moments of peace. Every little bit helps keep your stress levels down. Even starting your day by your garden with your morning coffee or tea can set you up for success.
Make your own calming lavender + chamomile tea
Lavender and chamomile are two natural ingredients that help alleviate stress and they can both be grown in your Rise Garden using seed pods. Once they are ready to harvest (even the stems and leaves), they can be steeped for a natural calming tea. Because hydroponic systems use up to 95% less water than traditional soil gardening, you can feel good about growing these calming herbs at home sustainably and year-round. Hydroponically grown herbs like lavender and chamomile can also contain up to 50% more beneficial compounds than store-bought equivalents, making your homegrown tea even more effective at helping you unwind.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can gardening help reduce stress?
Research in horticultural therapy consistently shows that interacting with plants and performing garden tasks reduces cortisol levels, lowers heart rate, and induces a measurable relaxation response in the nervous system. The combination of focused, repetitive tasks like tending to plants and the sensory pleasure of greenery, scent, and the visible progress of growth creates a mindful state that interrupts anxiety and rumination. Having a Rise Garden at home brings these scientifically documented benefits into your daily environment without requiring access to outdoor space.
What is the psychological benefit of growing your own food?
Growing your own food provides a powerful sense of agency, accomplishment, and connection to natural cycles that many people find deeply satisfying and stabilizing in the context of modern urban life. The act of nurturing a living plant from seed to harvest engages both the care-giving instinct and the reward center of the brain, generating a sustainable sense of purpose and daily positive reinforcement. Many Rise Gardens users describe their garden as becoming a calming anchor in their daily routine.
Can the smell of fresh herbs reduce stress?
Yes, multiple studies in aromatherapy and environmental psychology have demonstrated that the scents of herbs like lavender, mint, rosemary, and basil have measurable stress-reducing and mood-lifting effects when inhaled. These benefits are attributed to volatile aromatic compounds that interact with olfactory receptors connected to the limbic system, the brain region that regulates emotion and stress response. Having a Rise Garden filled with aromatic herbs in your living space creates a continuous, low-level aromatherapy experience throughout the day.
Is gardening considered a form of mindfulness practice?
Many mental health practitioners recommend gardening as an accessible, effective mindfulness practice because it naturally anchors attention to the present moment through sensory engagement with plants, soil, water, and growth. The deliberate, gentle tasks of watering, harvesting, and observing your garden require a quality of present-moment attention that quiets the mental chatter associated with stress and anxiety. Rise Gardens' simple, low-maintenance approach makes it easy to incorporate this kind of mindful daily practice without the overwhelm of complex gardening techniques.
