I struggle with depression and just recently fell into a depressive episode. my plants have severely taken a hit from this. Its such a surreal feeling taking care of plants that have been dying due to your depression. my plants have been pretty resilient, and survived and honestly thrived considering their conditions. luckily none of them have died. does anyone have any advice on continuing plant care even through depressive episodes?
Hugs. I got into plants for the ānurturingā feeing it gave me. Donāt be hard on yourself if they die because itās all a learning process. Maybe switch to plants that thrive on neglect? And remember, you can always reach out for help. ā¤ļø
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Go easy on yourself ā¤ļø Nature isn't perfect either, and if anything it's easier for plants to bounce back from underwatering than overwatering. I've had these kind of periods myself and my succulents at least are quite happy to be neglected š For needier plants, maybe a humidifier would at least help keep the ambient humidity up for them? Possibly those self-watering sticks people use for vacation (haven't used those before myself so unsure)?
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Itās so tuff. When our plants start to look bad, we feel even worse, and it becomes a feedback loop š®āšØ Self-watering tools might help. Thereās DIY versions or store bought depending on your energy levels. Things like self-watering pots or watering globes could extend the time between waterings a lot and reduce the pressure on you ā¤ļø
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Iām right there with you. I have found that when Iām in a depressive episode I just go and look at my plants. Even if I feel like I canāt put in the effort to water them or really take care of them I find I feel less guilty about it if I at least take some time to just look at each one. Usually I make a cup of coffee or tea then drink it as I admire each plant. Then when Iāve recovered a bit and can really take care of them I donāt feel like Iāve completely neglected them. Also, I have had to let some plants go that just couldnāt handle being left alone that long. So now I focus on plants that can handle drying out more. My collection is mostly Pothos, philodendrons, and succulents with a few others thrown in. Iām sorry you havenāt been feeling well and I hope you will find some peace today.ā¤ļøā¤ļø
2 LikesIm so sorry to hear this love. I really struggled with depression and Ive found that caring for my plants is kind of a reminder to care for myself. Ive found that trying to water my plants all on the same day can feel overwhelming so i like to split my plants up into sections that i do on different days. just know its okay if you need to take care of them less often than you normally would. and remember its not your fault that you have depression. Things will get better, i promise!
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