I don't want to go to work.
There. I said it. Hold on, I know what you're thinking, but give me a second to explain.
I work hard, and I LOVE working hard. I was up until 11:00pm last night making jelly out of unripe apples that a storm blew off my neighbor's apple tree before they had the chance to ripen.
It's just that I have never wanted a "real" job. I know some people love being away from home, but for me, I LOVE being home. All I have ever dreamed of is living far out in the country, on 10+ acres, doing nothing but working the land and taking care of my home. Taking care of the home base is what feeds my soul. Learning how to make a bit of money while I'm at it... Well, I guess money is a necessity for life! And that's just the cherry on top of the pie!
While I do have an actual job that I go to a couple of days a week, my days at home are, by far, the most fulfilling, and knowing that I have 5 days out of the week to just be home gets me more excited than anything else in the world!
Last week, I made six loaves of sourdough bread, a huge batch of fruit leather and kale chips. I was also able to make tons of progress catching up on weeding (call me crazy, but I enjoy it when it's not miserably hot!), harvest all of our peas and green beans, get my greenhouse tamed and organized, actually keep up with the housework for once, and I'm not even sure what else got done.
Have you ever thought about the fact that God originally created us to be gardeners/farmers? Go back and read Genesis 1 and 2 with that thought in mind... Genesis 2:8 says, "Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there He put the man He had formed."
Skip down to verse 15 and it says, "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."
The word Eden translates as pleasure or delight. If you do a little bit of research, you'll find that gardening is proven to be fantastic for your health! Here are just a few ways that gardening can improve your wellbeing:
It's great exercise
Are you looking for ways to get your steps in? I had over 5,000 steps in before 10:00am yesterday! Gardening is fantastic exercise. Walking, crouching, bending over, carrying things, it's all necessary to take care of your garden. From weeding to carrying plants and soil to transporting your harvest, your garden offers a great opportunity to get in some of that exercise you've been telling yourself you needed to squeeze in!
It gets you outside
Most of us need to spend more time outside. More and more, our society is turning people towards screens and technology, all of which revolve around being inside. But Vitamin D is so important, and I'd far rather get mine from actually spending time out in the sunshine than from a pill!
It's good for your mental health
I will be honest here: I often struggle with depression. And when I'm feeling depressed, I don't feel like doing anything - the last thing I want to do is go outside and work. But that's the best thing for my depression! On the days when I start feeling my depression try to snake it's way around me, when I can choose to get out and work in my garden, it goes a so far towards breaking the hold that depression sometimes tries to get on me.
Touching dirt can decrease stress
Did you know that the microorganisms that live in soil have actually been scientifically proven to reduce stress? Check out this article to see how soil benefits our mental health. In addition to the microbial benefits of playing in the dirt, there are also the benefits of earthing or grounding, which allow your body to connect to the natural electrical pull of the earth.
Funny thing, when I started writing this blog post, I hadn't seen it being up an advertisement for the benefits of gardening... I really did start out to just talk about how fulfilling I find it to be able to work from home! But that's really how my brain works... I very rarely start out in one direction and end up in the landing in the place I thought I was headed, but it's usually a better spot to land than the destination I thought I was headed for!
Where do I start?
Anyhoo, I do encourage you, even if you live in an apartment, to start a little garden. I recognize that everyone's life circumstances are different, and everyone has a different calling in life. I'm not here to tell you to be me - I'm me, and thankfully, I'm the only one of me that there is, because I don't think the world could handle another me! But if you're wanting to try your hand at a little bit of gardening or homesteading, you can do that wherever you are. If you need a bit of inspiration on your journey, there are tons of awesome groups that you can join on Facebook that will give you inspiration as well as the opportunity to learn from those who have gone before you. YouTube is also a rich wealth of resources - I'm always watching YouTube videos to learn about, well, everything!
If you feel really stuck and have no clue where to start, and just need a little personal inspiration or direction, drop me an email, message me on Facebook or leave a comment at the bottom of this blog post. I love to inspire people!
In the meantime, wherever you are at in your journey, take heart, dear friend, and may you find joy on your journey!
Now I have to get to work! 