How to Walk Off, “One of Those Days”

              Have you recently had “one of those days?”  You don’t land that job, your to do list is a mile long and then the in-laws call needing help today, follow that up with a phone call your sale didn’t come through and oh yeah your drink just leapt from your hand and into your lap, ugh.  How can you walk a day like this off?  Trying for some quiet time isn’t working, our daughter is going a mile a minute and despite being adorable is adding stress to the day not lessening it.  I could eat sweets which gives relief for about 10 minutes but then tomorrow I’m feeling shame on the scale and disappointed in myself, does it never end? 

              Our household had one of these days last weekend and it was felt by all, it was nobody’s fault, it was just one door slamming in our faces after another.  The day was ending on about the lowest note possible, our vice of getting some ice cream or pizza was shattered by realizing our go to spots were both closed on this particular day!  I know first world problems in these modern times but golly, it was feeling like death by a thousand paper cuts.  We get home, exhausted, unenthusiastic, and still have to make a dinner.  After feeding the baby and getting something in the oven for ourselves we had 45 min to kill and about the same in daylight left.  Our cut flower seedlings were rooted and ready to go in the ground but were still in trays due to the hectic weekend, so we set out to get something productive done on this day by God’s grace. 

              We have always enjoyed the garden, and new it made us feel better along with giving health benefits.  However, I don’t know that any of us, all 3 of us being quite crabby when we started, have ever felt the rapid and therapeutic effects of garden before like we did that evening.  I know I walked up to that garden bed hoping to lose focus on frustrating thoughts and simply find a calm but before we were even half done, we all not only had smiles but found patience, love, empathy, and playfulness with each other again while working on planting.  The hot day turned a perfect temperature with the breeze, the blazing sun turned golden through the trees making my family beautiful in ways I had forgotten on that day.  Our little girl wanted to stay in the truck, but she found her momma’s hat and was a regular comedy show while we planted.  By the time the sun had set, and we made our way back inside for dinner the tide had turned, the day had changed, and we were whole again.  Once inside, the bedtime ritual, dinner, and some bill paying reminded us how tired we were but the day was no longer lost and our faith in a new day and new hopes was seeded for us to sprout the next day.

              This experience gave me a great reminder from an amazing book I recommend everyone read, The Nature Fix, by Florence Williams. She writes,   “Chiba University, found that leisurely forest walks, compared to urban walks, deliver a 12 percent decrease in cortisol levels.  But that wasn’t all; they recorded a 7 percent decrease in sympathetic nerve activity, a 1.4 percent decrease in blood pressure, and a 6 percent decrease in heart rate.  On psychology questionnaires, they also reported better moods and lowered anxiety.”(pg.23)  This brief planting at the end of a hard day put our family back in line, got us back in control, and saved the day. 

              No matter if your garden is in a deed restricted neighborhood, or you have 100 acres to tend, find a spot and find time to put your hands in the soil.  Go look for insects, even if you don’t know what you’re looking for.  Connect with nature so it can connect with your soul and return what matters most in your life, peace.  When you walk into your house don’t let alcohol and ice cream try to fix your day, or at least have less, and let the garden refresh you so that your family gets the best version of you each evening, good day or bad.