Plant Care As Therapy

I used to think that I had the exact opposite of a green thumb. I couldn’t even keep a succulent alive, which was supposed to be the “easiest plant” to care for. But then I came across a beautiful Monstera Deliciosa at my local Trader Joe’s. That was when I decided that I wanted to be a “plant person.” I researched how to take care of the plant, I downloaded apps to remind me to water it, and before I knew it, I had a new obsession/hobby. Plant care became my own form of therapy – and now it’s almost just as expensive! 😄

Growth Is Exciting

What truly hooked me into taking care of plants is the very time you get to see new leaf growth. One that wasn’t there at all when I first bought the plant. When I first purchased my Monstera, it had one leaf that was starting to poke out and after a week or so it opened up and started getting darker. It was about two weeks later that I saw the first brand new leaf. I was doing it! I was taking care of a plant!
One could compare plant growth to personal growth. When trying something new, or working on a goal, you don’t always see progress right away, and it can be discouraging. But that first sign of growth is the push that keeps you motivated.

Budgeting

Plant care can be just as expensive as clothing and my other hobbies. Of course, I’m still feeding those hobbies (gotta share my OOTDs!) But it forces me to look at my budget each month and decide what I want to prioritize my spending money on each month. Sometimes it’s buying plants, sometimes it’s buying clothing!

Routine

Having to take care of something has motivated me to take more care of myself. As I’ve said in previous posts, having a routine has helped immensely with my anxiety. Now when I get up every morning, after I’ve washed my face, and while I’m waiting for my coffee to brew, I mist all of my plants and water any that need frequent watering. On weekends, depending on what week in the month it is, I do a mass watering with most of my plants. I can always count on this routine, and because of it, my plants can count on me.

How Plant Care Is My Therapy

Taking care of plants became a form of therapy for me for a few reasons:

1. Routine.
   Having a routine each morning makes tackling my day that much easier.
2. Rewarding.
   It is rewarding to take care of something and see it do well.
3. Growth.
   Seeing your plants grow is just as motivating as seeing growth in yourself.
4. New hobby.
   Having a hobby is great because it allows me to focus on something that I can control, and it teaches me a new skill.
5. Money.
   Plant care forces me to look at my budget each month and decide what I want to prioritize my spending money on each month.

Plant Care Must-Haves

I Take Care of My Plants So They Can Take Care of Me

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I could earn a small commission if you make a purchase or sign up for a service using one of the links. This comes at no additional cost to you and all opinions are based on my own experience.

Get Organized

Most of my plant stands are from HomeGoods, but I’ve shared below some products that are either in my cart, or I’ve purchased them but haven’t set them up yet. I still need to get the hanging macrame holders up, but I need my dad to come over and bring his tools… Dad, if you’re reading this… can you come over?

H2O FLOW

Different kinds of plants require different amounts of water. It takes some trial and error to figure out what each of your babies needs, but I’ve found that daily misting helps all plants. For smaller plants like succulents, I use the pump mister because it’s not as fine and can reach the nooks and crannies. When I’m away from the apartment for more than a day or two, I use the bird-shaped slow watering tools. The clay bottom will keep the soil moist at a slow pace. I was able to take a 2-week vacation and my plants were only slightly dehydrated when I got back, as opposed to dry AF.

Grow Baby Grow!

Getting your plants to grow, does not just involve water and sunlight. It needs nutrients and you want to keep the bugs away to keep it healthy. A healthy plant is a happy plant! A happy plant is a happy person. Again, plant care is all part of therapy no matter how you look at it.
Miracle-Gro makes a variety of potting soil and plant food to keep your plant growing nice and strong. When I first buy a plant, I use the spikes to get them moving. You can also buy the plant food in a liquid form, and there is a special one just for succulents and cacti. Then, once I’m ready to re-pot the plant and it’s grown out of its current pot, I repot it with the Miracle-Gro potting soil.