One of the best ways to take care of yourself is to grow your own food. There are so many things wrong with grocery store food, and who doesn’t love self-sustainability?
Proper Nutrition is the Best Form of Self Care.
This year I started with some mushrooms and garlic. You don’t need to grow everything, start with something small.
Growing your own food is one of the most grounded and radical acts of self-care you can practice. It’s more than just gardening—it’s an intentional reclaiming of nourishment, rhythm, and autonomy in a world that often pushes us to disconnect from the sources of our sustenance.
At its core, tending to your own food cultivates presence. Planting seeds, checking on sprouts, watering, harvesting—all of it requires you to slow down and tune into the cycles of nature. That kind of slowness is medicine. It pulls you out of your head and into your body, into your senses. The scent of soil, the warmth of sun, the satisfaction of pulling a ripe tomato from its vine—these are moments that ground you in the now.
It also fosters a sense of control and security. When you grow your own herbs, greens, or even just a few vegetables, you’re building a direct relationship with your food source. That means fewer unknowns, less dependency on external systems, and more trust in what’s fueling your body. For people navigating burnout or chronic stress, that kind of agency can be deeply healing.
There’s also a subtle emotional restoration in the act of nurturing something to life. Watching a seed become a plant that feeds you can reflect your own capacity for growth, resilience, and care. It becomes a quiet mirror: if I can care for this, I can care for myself.
Plus, there’s nourishment beyond just nutrients. Food you’ve grown with your own hands often tastes better—not just because it’s fresh, but because it’s infused with effort, intention, and love. That kind of eating is an act of reverence, a reminder that you deserve not just to eat, but to be fed.
So whether it’s a backyard garden, a windowsill full of herbs, or a few pots on a balcony, growing your own food becomes a ritual of return—to the earth, to your body, and to the parts of you that are still tender and in need of care.
Plants and Love With Haily 