People across the UK are being encouraged to get out in the garden and enjoy the daylight hours as the colder weather and shorter days approaches, now that autumn has arrived.

Gardening is known to improve mental well-being and the experts at GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk have highlighted its main benefits.

Shorter days and darker nights can take a toll on our mental health and understandably many begin to feel more isolated.

Picking up hobbies like gardening have proven to be relaxing and can help relieve stress, promoting better mental wellbeing.

A spokesperson at GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk said: “The winter nights can be very hard, especially for those who may live alone or far from family and friends.

“This past year has reminded us just how important it is to include things in our day to day routine that have a positive impact on our mental wellbeing.

“Doing something like gardening for as little as 10-15 minutes a day can help relax your mind, reduce anxiety and it gives you something to focus on and channel your energy into.

“We’ve broken down how gardening has a positive impact on us to really encourage people to give it a go.”

How gardening can improve your mental wellbeing:

Lowers stress and anxiety
One of the main reasons why gardening is so great is that it puts us closer to nature and countless studies have shown that this alone reduces stress and anxiety while promoting better blood pressure and improving our mood.

And it’s very easy to fit this into your schedule.

Spending as little as 10 minutes a day doing some gardening can help our mental wellbeing.

Improves self-esteem and creates purpose
When our mental health takes a toll on us, it’s easy to lose our sense of self and purpose.

The great thing about gardening is that you can see the results of your hard work right in your garden. Tidying your lawn, creating your own veg patch or putting together a beautiful display of flowers can help you feel accomplished and boost your confidence.

Vitamin D intake
The sun may not be beaming but that’s okay, spending time outside at any time of year can increase our vitamin D intake and an endless list of studies have highlighted the link between depression and low vitamin D levels.

Getting outside can boost and maintain vitamin D levels which also supports our immune system and helps maintain the strength in our bones

Improves attention span
A short attention span can be a temporary response to stress.

Gardening requires patience, focus and time.

Picking up the hobby will give you something therapeutic to focus on which will in turn, improve your attention span and reduce your stress.

Provides a sense of community
Don’t let the winter evenings isolate you – the gardening community is huge.

Perhaps you have friends or neighbours who love gardening, this is the perfect opportunity to share tips, get advice or even do some gardening together.

It counts as exercise
Yep, gardening counts as exercise – it’s a physical activity that releases endorphins, those feel good hormones, into your brain to boost your mood!

Whatever hobby you decide to pick up during the winter, remember that it’s always important to be kind to yourself and set aside some time to take care of your mental health.