Graduate with Your Garden | Interview with Ravi Shah

Gardening is a practice that provides an opportunity for relaxation, a moment to focus, and a chance to reconnect with yourself. Gardening is great for reducing stress levels while also boosting your mood and general level of happiness. It’s plain to see why gardening is great for improving your mental health, but there are still so many people who are not aware of its benefits!

Students are one of the most stressed-out communities in the nation; according to the American Institute of Stress, the amount of students seeking counseling to manage stress is steadily increasing by 30% per year. Gardening has the potential to help students manage their stress, and find moments of peace throughout their days. 

The problem lies in the fact that many students think of gardening as something that they don’t have the time or money for, which is a fair argument. In reality, to begin the practice of gardening you do not need an abundance of time or money; what you do need is the ability to prioritize being kind to yourself.

This week, we chatted with recent University of Texas graduate, Ravi Shah about how he has taken up gardening post-grad, and how it has helped him grow. 

Gardening as a Student

Ravi recently graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in finance; we are thrilled to have him on our team here at Gardenuity. 

We asked Ravi if he practiced gardening while he was still completing his studies, and his answer was simple. He said, “I didn’t garden at all; no time. No space. I had too many other things happening.”

In a recent poll taken, 46% of students answered that they did not garden while they were in school. Of that 46%, 78% of those students answered that they wish they would have taken up gardening while they were in school. 

Gardening may feel inaccessible or impossible when your life is filled with the chaos of being an undergrad student. That being said, the benefits of gardening outweigh the potential stress of starting your garden!

Take a look at our garden kits; it’s perfect for beginners and it’s the perfect garden set up for a dorm room or an apartment.

Why Garden as a Student?

Gardening has plentiful significant health benefits, while also improving your general mood and the amount of pleasure you gain from being in your own space. Gardening is also a great way to consume a greener and healthier assortment of foods, which gives your brain an extra boost throughout the day.

Absorb Information

As a student, you are constantly being asked to absorb information. Taking a moment in your garden between classes or lectures increases the likeness of you remembering the information you just learned. In addition, working in your garden can also give you the chance to clear your mind, and hone in on your focus as you prepare for your next course. 

Cope with Stress

Stress is also a huge factor involved in being a student; it feels unavoidable. Shah comments, “Students just accept the stress they’re put under without realizing how much it actually is.”

Gardening is a fantastic remedy to a stressful day, as it gives you the chance to be in a peaceful space where you can reconnect to yourself, as well as your roots with the earth. 

We recently talked with anxiety and gardening expert, Quentin Vinnie about how the practice of gardening is meditative. Take a look to learn how gardening can help you relieve stress this school year. 

Start your Growth

Ravi says that since graduating, gardening plays a much larger role in his daily life. There is a lot to learn from the practice of gardening; when asked what Ravi has been taught by his garden he answered, “Good things take time to grow.”

It’s true. To create something amazing, it needs the time and space to flourish; the way you think about the growth of your garden is the way you should think about yourself. You deserve time, care and attention in order to achieve growth. Be kind to yourself, and start a garden to help your journey in growing and achieving. 

Find time in your day to appreciate having patience– with your garden and yourself. Ravi shares how he discovered “you have to be patient with the process” of growing. To read more about how gardening can help you thrive this school year, check our article about going back to school with your garden. 

Fun Fact: Since graduating, Ravi has particularly enjoyed growing his mint garden. He shares, “Mint is my favorite plant; it just grows all over the place! You can use it for so much. I didn’t realize there were so many varieties of mint.” To learn more about the magic of mint, take a look at these five fun facts.