Working in the garden is good for the mind

After a car accident left me partially disabled and in constant pain I had surgery. It's taken me many years for my condition to stabilise. Like many others living with chronic pain I sleep badly most nights and rarely wake up feeling refreshed. Pain is like a bad friend that won't go away.

Then comes the biggest decision for the day - how much pain killer medication is it going to take for me to get done what I need to do? Is this going to be one of those days when the misery kicks in and I struggle to function?

Why am I telling you all this? Because I've discovered that despite being on the invalid pension for a couple of years I took myself off it and returned to work part time. I didn't want to be an 'In-valid". Each day I juggle the need to rest and look after myself and the need to be active. There are some days I just have to get out in the garden and do things I know will hurt for days, sometimes weeks. (hence, casual worker) But achieving something for the day is SO IMPORTANT for your mental health. As long as it's not doing permanent damage to your condition. Heat packs are a big part of my day!

After unpacking lots of boxes and doing way too  much I finally had enough of that and went out into the garden to begin making it pretty.

Firstly, I went about and collected all the blue ceramic pots around the place. So lucky! Blue is my favourite colour and so was it, apparently, to the last owners. I created a welcoming little spot near the back door. (our property faces away from the road, towards the amazing view of the valley). A friend had bought me a gorgeous rose and my family bought me some fuchsias to cheer me up so I planted those in the pots and a couple of other bits and pieces I found in the garden. Doesn't it look great? Cheered me up straight away. Then a couple of days ago I did the other side of the doorway, pulling out a small lemon tree that was in the lawn in the wrong place and potting in a huge ceramic pot.

Mental health has become a watchword in our society today. SO many people seem to be struggling with it. It has become easier to talk about it and the stigma has diminished somewhat, but it still feels like a weakness to suffer with it. I find two things really help - cuddling a pet makes me feel loved and getting physically busy, OUTSIDE lifts my mood and gives me a deep sense of achievement that overrides the misery. Pets are marvellous like that.

Have a happy day. And if that's not possible, make it a busy one :-)
Here's the latest pic of new pup Flossie. She cheers up anyone.