6 minute read
Plant power: Stephanie Francis on how an urban jungle helped her beat the lockdown blues
PLANT POWER :
STEPHANIE FRANCIS ON HOW AN URBAN JUNGLE HELPED HER BEAT THE LOCKDOWN BLUES
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WORDS BY ZAHRA KHADIR
Covid-19 has had a huge impact on our everyday life and mental health. Luckily urban gardening has been the perfect way to cope for Stephanie Francis, as she reconnected with nature during lockdown.
It is no secret that gardening can boost your mood which is why many turned to plants to reduce their stress and anxiety when the pandemic hit. Coping with isolation and the pace of everyday life slowing down has taken a toll on people’s mental health, especially those of us who are crammed up in tiny flats with little access to green spaces for months on end. This is what happened to the London based, single mother Stephanie Francis. Here, she shares the story of how one Yukka plant became the start of a self-care journey and a learning experience. Before the pandemic hit the UK, 36-year-old Stephanie worked at a primary school as a teacher trainee, until the training programme was suspended by the school due to lockdown and restrictions. The world has come to a standstill and Stephanie found herself without a job and a lack of purpose. “When the first lockdown started, I found myself with more time on my hands, no adults to talk to and a strange sense of being in freefall after being so used to spending most of my time at work. It was lonely and having recently moved to a new apartment, it felt strangely empty,” Stephanie says. Suddenly, every day was spent at home with her 11-yearold son. The only adult she could physically meet and have a conservation with was the postman, which was even limited due to social distancing. Stephanie explains that this was a big adjustment and it left her feeling extremely lonely.
Before Stephanie had to leave the school, she adopted their neglected Yukka Plant, officially making her a plant parent. As she had recently moved into a new apartment, she felt strangely empty and thought some plants would keep her busy. So, in the hopes of livening up the place that she now found herself spending most of her time in, Stephanie set out on a plant journey. Slowly but surely, she found a new purpose.
She had always wanted to garden but was limited to a simple windowsill for herbs at best. When doing research, she found that air purifying plants are great for people with allergies. This is what she had been waiting for since she was a little girl as she had severe allergies and gardening outside would start a minefield of reactions. And so, she delved into the world of urban gardening. Her new apartment had big, south-facing windows and a large balcony, so it seemed like the perfect time to extend the plant portfolio. “A few plants quickly became 50 and I couldn’t be happier!” she says.
Stephanie Francis’ plant collection.
Photo by Stephanie Francis.
When setting out on this new journey, Stephanie found social media, particularly Pinterest, to be a useful tool for acquiring information about plant care and advice. Stephanie’s research led her to the houseplant expert, Planterina on Youtube and she happily admits watching her religiously for nearly a month. She later looked her up on Instagram and this is where she found the wonderful plant and gardening community. It was not long before she felt inspired enough to engage with the community herself and so she made her own account dedicated to sharing plant pictures and care tips on @Mangocherry_plantlady. She adds that she is also in some online plant groups and “joining plant pages and groups helped me to make friends and kept me communicating with the outside world, even if only virtually.” Before the pandemic hit, she would move around a lot and get between 15,000 to 25,000 steps in one day. Now she barely walks 4,000 steps and this sudden reduction in movement seemed to exacerbate sleep issues and anxiety. Stephanie is not the only one suffering from the lack of movement, according to a study from Oxford University, there has been a rise in negative mental health, with the younger generation suffering the most, since the start of lockdown restrictions. The study also found 46 per cent of the participant were less active, and there had been an increase in the consumption of fast-food and alcohol. This has led to an increase in depression and anxiety, something Stephanie also has been suffering from, as well as an
increasing level of suicidal thoughts. Stephanie missed her work at the school and her students more so. She started to get deeply concerned about the future, this is where taking care of her plant babies helped her quiet the mind, keep busy and simply enjoy the beauty of the moment. Stephanie makes it clear that nurturing plants and an urban garden has helped her mental health: “Absolutely. Learning about the needs of the plants helps keep the mind active and the body moving. It is also hugely rewarding when you find the right routine for a plant and it begins to reward you with beautiful new foliage or flowers,” she says.
The effects of Covid-19 are hitting every generation hard, however, millennials are the worst affected generation. A survey by the Office for National Statistics showed millennials (and gen z) in the UK were the most likely to suffer from depression during the pandemic. The statistics show that between July 2019 and March 2020 only 10.9 per cent suffered from moderate to severe depression, however, fast forward to June 2020, it was up to 31.0 per cent. In this time of bleak statistics, many millennials are expanding their indoor gardens in the hopes of reaping the benefits of their physical and mental health properties. Stephanie reiterates that is has been a tough journey, but what helped her is “taking time to just appreciate the plants is a mindful exercise; enjoying the different textures, colours and shapes on a plant can promote a sense of calm,” Stephanie says. Stephanie Francis’ plant collection.
Photo by Stephanie Francis.
There is no doubt that gardening has been an enormous help after losing her dream job and strug-gling with motivation during several lockdowns. This was especially challenging as a single mother. Her advice to people who want to start urban gardening is to “just do it”. Even if you are a bit nervous and have no knowledge about gardening, it is well worth taking the time to get to know your plant and not lose hope. There is a community of plant parents ready to support you and it is rewarding and fulfilling to start a plant family. Stephanie’s story acts as an important reminder for millennials who have not yet introduced plants into their homes and her experiences indicate that gardening can be a great remedy for mental health problems. Starting an urban garden is not only good for your home environment or a beautiful addition to your space, it is a way to connect and interact with nature. When doing that you will see an improvement in your well-being and a reduction in stress-related symptoms. Even as we find ourselves living in big cities surrounded by concrete walls and fluorescent lights, our connection to nature is fundamental. As the world is at a standstill, this is the time to start, for millennials to introduce nature into their home and experience the gratifying journey of becoming a plant parent.
