Sep 263 min read

Plant care as Blueprints for Self-Care: How Tending to Nature Helped Me Heal Myself

I’ve personally experienced the profound connection between plant care and self-care. As I fell in love with hiking and caring for plants, I began to feel a deeper connection to a higher source. This growing connection to the Divine helped me realize something remarkable: plants are a blueprint for self-care. It was as if they were telepathically guiding me to take better care of myself—guiding me toward self-love.

At first, this idea seemed abstract, but the more I followed the simple routines of plant care, the clearer the message became. It started with the basics, like watering. Each plant has specific water needs to stay hydrated, avoid stunted growth, and prevent death. Learning to water my plants properly became a reminder to stay mindful of my own hydration. But it didn’t stop there. It nudged me to dig deeper, to pay closer attention to my unique needs and uncover the areas in my life that were neglected.

For me, identifying those needs was challenging at the time. I had to start with what I knew: the things I didn’t like. This self-awareness helped me place boundaries in my life, much like a plant needing the right-sized container to grow properly. Without that container, I felt like I was running wild, with no foundation or support. But the more I followed the “guidance” from my plants, the more clarity I gained. It was as if the plants were vessels relaying messages from the Divine. The light they were shedding on my self-care began illuminating other aspects of my life as well.

Next came the lessons in lighting. Just as plants rely on the right amount of sunlight, I realized how vital light—and the Sun itself—is to my well-being. Sunlight is a powerful, underestimated healer in our lives. Such as boosting mood, aiding sleep, and providing essential vitamin D. But, like everything in life, too much of anything can be harmful.

Most plants will tell you when they’re unhappy with their light situation. Browning leaves or spotting are common signs that a plant is receiving too much sunlight. Yellowing can also be a signal of overexposure, though it could mean overwatering too. I found that observing my plants’ response to light was a direct reflection of how I needed to respond to my own light exposure—whether it was literal sunlight or the metaphorical light in my life. If I noticed a plant looking less vibrant, I would move it to a spot with less direct light, allowing it to recover. In the same way, I learned to pull back when I felt overwhelmed, to give myself time to rest and regenerate.

Lessons from Plants on Structure and Growth

Caring for plants has become a sacred routine for me—a structure that helps guide my own self-care. Each plant requires different attention, whether it’s watering, sunlight, or fertilizing. And through these simple acts of care, I’ve found parallels in my own life. Just as plants need the right conditions to grow and thrive, I needed to create conditions that supported my growth, too. Boundaries, self-awareness, hydration, rest, and light—all became pillars of my self-care.

The beauty of plant care is that it teaches us patience and attentiveness. Plants don’t thrive overnight, and neither do we. We need time, the right care, and a gentle awareness of our needs. The more I embraced this with my plants, the more I embraced it with myself. And the deeper my connection grew with the Divine, the more I saw that these plants were more than just greenery—they were teachers, quietly showing me the path to self-love and healing.

Part two coming soon...