Growing Our Gardens Alongside Our Minds This December

Finally, school is over for the year! We've entered the precious couple of months when we can control our activities almost completely. Christmas and other holidays are just around the corner, and a whole new year, a whole new us, is around the bend. There's so much we can do, so many ways to spend our precious time! So, these holidays, spend some of that time in your garden.

December's Monthly Mind Muscle-Up - Gardening: Spend time these holidays enjoying the sun, shade, and lifeforms outside your home. Tend to your garden, indoor plants, or even start a garden project like making a birdbath! Focus on the textures and scents of Earth.

There’s something grounding about getting your hands into soil—like the earth is gently reminding you to slow down, breathe deeper, and pay attention to things that grow quietly. After a year of assignments, deadlines, SACs, late-night study sessions, and alarms that felt way too early, December offers a rare chance to reconnect with yourself in a slower, softer way.

Gardening is one of those nostalgic activities that asks almost nothing from you yet gives so much back. To let your mind work the way it did when you were younger, to use techniques used for generations. You don’t need to be an expert, have a huge yard, or even know the difference between mulch and compost. What matters is the intention: creating a space for growth, both leafy and personal.

Why Gardening Makes December Feel Different

Think of your mind as its own ecosystem. When school is busy, your mental soil gets packed down—tight, busy, full of to-do lists. But when you pause and spend time with plants, something shifts. You make space. Creativity returns. Stress loosens its grip. You remember what calm feels like.

Plants don’t rush. They don’t cram. They grow at their own pace. And spending time around them can subtly nudge your brain to do the same.

Your December Garden Challenge (No Pressure, Just Possibility!)

Here are a few small, peaceful garden adventures you might want to try (Bunnings is a great place to get started and buy some saplings or pre-grown plants):

Start a tiny herb patch – Basil (my personal favourite), mint, parsley… all cheap, all hardy, and all very rewarding. Plus, your future self will thank you when you’re making pasta.

Re-pot an indoor plant – Give something you already have a little extra space. It’s amazing how quickly plants bounce back when they’re no longer cramped.

Create a “calm corner” outside – A small chair, a shady spot, maybe a notebook or music. Let it become your unplugged zone.

DIY a birdbath or insect hotel – A fun little project that helps the environment and adds life to your space.

Grow something edible – Strawberries, cherry tomatoes, or even lettuce. Watching food grow feels like magic, and eating it feels like victory.

Gardening as a Mindset, not a To-Do List

The best part? You don’t have to finish anything. Your garden doesn’t care if you miss a day. Plants bend, adapt, and slowly keep going—and maybe that’s a message worth carrying into the new year.

This December, let yourself grow gently. Water what matters. Pull out old weeds—mental or literal. Notice small things again. Whether you’re tending a sprawling backyard, a few pots by the window, or a single stubborn plant in your room, you’re still cultivating something beautiful: patience, presence, and a little peace.

And who knows—by the time January rolls around, you might discover that while your plants have been growing, you’ve been growing too.