The Lawnmower: An Unexpected Therapist

INTRODUCTION

Were you aware that you can cut down on stress by mowing the grass of your lawn? Everyone has various methods that they practice to relax and relieve their mind of stress. Some people may have various activities. Some of these activities are common and quite normal, while some can be extraordinary; either way, everyone has that one activity that they perform to connect with inner peace and unwind from the daily stress. Some people would rather take a silent walk or listen to music, go hiking, or even practice yoga. Some prefer to work their whole body by swimming, going for a run. For some people, just some peace and quiet in a warm spot, reading a book is enough for them to feel at peace.

There are people who prefer to mow their lawn as their method of calming themselves and reaching for inner peace. Moving at a pace, back and forth in a somewhat rhythmic motion can help calm your mind and stretch your muscles and entire body.

Mowing your lawn has a couple of benefits for your mind and body too. It can be used for meditation, as you’ll be able to focus on one thing, which is pushing the lawnmower back and forth repeatedly and letting your mind absorb the ambiance and color of the green grass while basking in the wonders of nature. This can be quite soothing and help you put your mind in a calmer/relaxed state and promote your sense of well-being. It is also a great way to burn some calories. Mowing in the early hours of the morning and under the sun’s first rise will also give you a boost of vitamin D. All these benefits, and you still get to save the money for lawn care service by professionals.

PROSAIC MOWING

If you get stressed about things easily, mowing your lawn might be a very encouraging way to relax and free your mind. The world we are in today is fastly on the move, and it can be hard to keep up with while also trying to have some quiet time or private moment. Anyone can call or text or email you at any time, even at the time you’ve put aside all to yourself. Sometimes, it is essential to make out time to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the word and is amazingly beneficial. Most times, we work our bodies on overdrive unknowingly when trying to keep up with the fats world and only get to rest when our body starts to react, and this can take its toll on our health.

Being mindful, slowing down, and finding inner peace in the midst of nature can fasten your body’s healing process and reduce your stress while maintaining your peace. You don’t have to think of mowing your lawn as another tedious chore. It can instead be something worth looking forward to as a way of relaxing your body and mind. Instead, use the act of mowing your lawn as a way to relax and appreciate your body for pulling through the week.

Mowing can be classified as a multisensory activity. Mowing will maintain your body’s warmth from the physical exertion when you push the lawnmower forward and drag it backward coupled with the summer sun. You get to breathe in the fresh scent of the various species of plants im your garden, ranging from the fruits to the flowers, depending on the plants available in your garden. The therapeutic sound of the birds chirping, the lawnmower and children running around the neighborhood, seeing the grasses, trees around you with you in the middle of it all can boost your mood and arouse your senses too. This will make your mind calm and aware of your surroundings and the calmness of it.

THE EFFECTS OF THE COLOR GREEN

The green color is said to have various benefits to the human body. It is a color that is most easy on the human eye and also signifies peace. To recognize the color green, the retina will have to be at the peak of perception, making us calm. Apart from calming you down after a long week or a stressful day, it helps to relax your nervous system. Due to its calming touch, the green color is usually used in places of stress or anxiety and hospitals to help restore calmness and prevent unnecessary tension by reducing the heart rate. It is effective, even in traumatic conditions.

Spending time in outdoor spaces with a lot of greens and being in the midst of green has been proven scientifically to increase your lifespan, no matter your activity in these spaces. People who spend more time surrounded by green and working/walking in nature tend to have better mental health and little to no respiratory issues and are able to unlock their inner peace better and more easily than people who do not indulge in activities that are surrounded by greens and nature.

The main point that is to be reached here is that mowing your grass can be advantageous to your health, and you may need to consider taking up this activity.

WHY DOES THE HUMAN BODY RESPOND WELL TO THE COLOR GREEN

Humans respond incredibly well to the green color due to our history of living in the forests and surviving by scavenging. At this time, the human eye became very sensitive to the green color because it helped differentiate between poisonous food and edible foods.

Edible foodstuffs were usually green, while the poisonous ones were mostly red. Although we no longer have to scavenge for food these days, we still use our instincts and tell a bad fruit just from its color and even without tasting it. The human mind is more drawn to the green color due to its calming and safe properties. This is another great reason to mow your lawn personally. You can cross the necessary chore/task to mow your lawn off your list and discover your inner peace. It is a win-win situation. Spiritually, it is believed that the color green can be used to restore diminished levels of energy. The energy you exert in cutting your lawn will be re-filled just by being surrounded by the green and absorbing its ambiance. You may end up feeling even more energized than you were when you started the task.

CUTTING YOUR GRASS AND CUTTING DOWN CALORIES

There are so many benefits of mowing your lawn, including promoting your health, helping your mind and body de-stress, and helping you unlock your inner peace. Another essential benefit of cutting the grass is in relation to the loss of calories. Many people today live very busy lives and may find it difficult to shuffle between workload, relaxing, chores, and most especially, exercising. It sometimes feels like 24hours is not enough to squeeze in all the activities you want to perform. Suppose you can find an activity that is a combination of all these essential activities mentioned above, then you get to eat your cake and have it. This is another major reason why you should consider mowing your lawn by yourself and even enjoy the process.

You will not only discover your inner peace, but you also get to burn a reasonable amount of calories. Most people who spend their lives driving, sitting at a desk, or doing an activity that doesn’t require much movement, mowing your lawn is an excellent way to exercise, increase your level of fitness, and lose weight.

Some dictating factors affect the effectiveness of this method as a method for burning calories. For example, the size of your lawn and how long it’ll take for you to cut the grass. Also, your weight is a determining factor. If your weight is around 125pounds, you will be capable of burning 3.8 calories every minute you cut the grass. It seems like a little to start with, but the calories burned and the minutes will balance up. You’d have burned 114 calories in just about 30 minutes, so if you have a more extended garden and you want to burn some calories, this is a great way to start.

On the other hand, if you weigh up to or 175 pounds, you can burn up to 5.2 calories per minute of mowing the lawn, making it 156 calories in total by 30 minutes. It simply means that the more you weigh, the more calories you can burn and vice versa.

As long as you own a lawn, mowing is an essential, unavoidable task. It is more than just a chore/task, and it can be quite pleasing if you key into it wholeheartedly. There are various advantages of mowing your lawn, and if you do it correctly, it may quickly become your favorite task and time of the week. Based on the grass’s greenness, it can be very soothing, calming, and great for stimulation of your nervous system. As stated earlier, It is a great multisensory activity that puts all your senses at alert while you find your inner peace and center your body and mind. It will also help you to focus better and even plan your approach for the next task. After mowing your lawn, your health will be increased, and your senses will be awakened and heightened. It will also help to reduce your blood pressure—all this from simply mowing your lawn.

CONCLUSION

Being in the midst of nature and surrounded by green, hearing the natural sounds, and just basking in the beauty of it, has an amazing impact on your mental health. It is a good idea to spend a lot of time outside and amidst the green. Lawnmowing will also improve your overall body feeling while burning calories and keeping fit to an extent, especially if you have a stationary job, then this is good for your body. Next time you want to mow your lawn, be aware of the difference in your energy level from when you started till when you were all done. Also, see:

getting exercise while mowing the lawn

growing grass when having pets

Eco-friendly lawn care guide

Laying a new lawn step by step