Growing alongside your plant

MACIE GUTIERREZ

Ihave never been able to take care of a plant for longer than a couple of weeks. I have tried on multiple occasions and failed every time. I do not even like plant-sitting.

Every time I am asked to water a neighbor’s plants for a couple of days, I panic. I know something my neighbors do not know — if they leave their plants with me, they will die.

I wish I had a green thumb. I wish more than anything I could look at a plant and have it blossom before my eyes. The older I get, the closer I come to the realization: I am not meant for the plant mom lifestyle. I even have the skill it takes to kill a succulent.

While there are some defining qualities that make a person a good plant parent, plant owners do not necessarily have to be good at taking care of themselves to take care of another living thing.

Accomplished plant owners may have differing opinions about this. Some people have their entire lives figured out, including their relationships, social lives and mental health. On the other hand, there are some people that put all of their energy into their plants without leaving any for themselves.

Sometimes, having something to put energy into can be incredibly beneficial to a person’s growth and mental health. Plants can be an excellent outlet for this purpose.

Even if the ability to take good care of yourself has a correlation to taking better care of a plant, having plants around can be incredibly beneficial.

Taking care of plants can help reduce stress and anxiety while increasing productivity. Watching something flourish and grow can inspire you to look inward and do the same for yourself.

I often like to say I am just a more complicated version of a plant. Give me some fresh air and sunlight, and I am good to go. Like plants, humans need sunlight to thrive and blossom.

There are numerous benefits of exposure to sunlight such as improvements in sleep, mood and energy. The most noticeable benefit of spending time in the sun is the proven boost in serotonin — the chemical in the brain that controls mood. The more serotonin, the happier you feel; the less serotonin, the more anxious and tired you feel. When individuals spend time in the sun, their body receives a signal to release serotonin, making them feel cheerful and more productive.

When it is time to wind down for the night, there is melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone your brain releases when it is dark or cloudy outside. Melatonin helps the body sleep and feel ready to wind down. Many people take melatonin supplements to help them sleep at night. Melatonin is great, except when your body releases too much of it; such as when you are surviving through a week-long snowstorm and have not seen the sun in days.

People feel their best when they have a balance of both chemicals. I can tell these chemicals are working when I spend the majority of my day outside either hiking, walking or when I wind down as the sun is going down.

Just like plants need a little extra love and attention sometimes, so do people.

Seasonal depression occurs in individuals during times of the year when there is overall less sunlight. The symptoms of seasonal depression include sadness, fatigue and social removal. The medical terminology for seasonal depression is Seasonal Affective Disorder — or SAD — which causes sadness and melancholy feelings, usually in the fall and winter.

For some, seasonal depression can be treated properly with light therapy. Light therapy can treat SAD by replicating the effects sunlight has on the body. Light triggers the body’s response to produce serotonin.

Like plants, without sunlight, we are unable to stay happy and stay healthy. If you and your plants are having a rough day, it could be because you both need to spend some time outside. If humans and plants are similar in some ways, it seems as though it should be easier for me to take care of them.

I know I am good at taking care of myself. I have a loose routine I follow that keeps me active, and I make sure to spend time outside every day to get my dosage of sunlight. So, I can’t understand why I can take care of myself, but not a plant.

It could be because people like me are too focused on keeping themselves in check to spare focus on something else, and that is not a bad thing.

Making personal growth your number one priority is essential. If you feel like you barely have enough time to take care of yourself, I suggest waiting to adopt a plant until you have time for both of you. That may seem obvious, but for some, it is hard to acknowledge they need work, love and attention, just like a plant does.

People who are able to prioritize and acknowledge that they can put themselves first are better able to support their own mental health and growth. If someone only has time for themselves and not a long-lasting relationship with a plant, that is fine. People shouldn’t feel shame from plant owners for not having a green thumb.

Wanting to have plants around is understandable, but some plants are harder to take care of than others. Some of the best plants to start off with are cactus, monstera and ponytail palm. Each of these plants are low maintenance and still offer the benefits of having greenery around.

Being around plants can work as a simple reminder that plants and people are not so unlike. Plants show that self care can be as simple as spending time in the sun and allowing yourself time to grow.

So, a person’s ability to take care of a plant is not a direct reflection of their ability to take care of themselves.

Some people can take care of themselves and their plants, and others choose to take care of themselves and admire the plants of others from a safe distance. Both of these options come with no shame. As long as you give yourself the tools you need to grow, you shouldn’t worry about growing something else, unless you want to.