Gardening Journal: How Dirt Under My Nails Saved My Sanity

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 Gardening Journal: How Dirt Under My Nails Saved My Sanity  
*By Demsi Basu 

**Date:** April 12th, 2024  
**Weather:** Crisp spring morning, pale sun  
**Mental State:** Drowning in work stress. Anxiety feels like static in my brain. Decided to reclaim the abandoned garden patch.  
**Entry:**  
Cleared weeds for 45 minutes. No grand plan—just *pulled*. Felt roots snap, smelled wet soil. My racing thoughts quieted to the rhythm of tugging, kneeling, breathing. Came inside muddy but… lighter. Is this "grounding"? Literally.  

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**Date:** May 3rd, 2024  
**Weather:** Misty after overnight rain  
**Mental State:** Woke up with chest-tightness. Restless.  
**Entry:**  
Planted snapdragon seedlings. Focused on holes, roots, patting soil. No room for panic—just *this plant, this moment*. Rain-drenched earth smelled like calm. Repetition = meditation. Anxiety didn’t vanish… but it made space.  

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**Date:** June 1st, 2024  
**Weather:** Blazing sun  
**Mental State:** Frustrated. Life felt chaotic.  
**Entry:**  
Deadheaded marigolds aggressively. Then… shifted. Methodical work burned off anger. Here, I’m *in control*. Fixed aphids, tied tomatoes. Nurturing them felt like nurturing myself. Pruning dead blooms = pruning dead weight. Left sweaty, empowered.  

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**Date:** June 20th, 2024  
**Weather:** Humid twilight  
**Mental State:** Floaty, disconnected.  
**Entry:**  
Watered beans. Watched droplets slide off leaves. Noticed ladybug spots, fuzzy stems, soil drinking. *Pure sensory immersion*. No thoughts—just green, damp, alive. Reset my buzzing brain. Came back feeling… here.  

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**Date:** July 10th, 2024  
**Weather:** Golden evening light  
**Mental State:** Quietly grateful.  
**Entry:**  
Picked the first sun-warmed cherry tomato. Burst of flavor = burst of clarity. **This is resilience training:** Patience (seeds take time). Acceptance (slugs happen). Impermanence (petals fall). Tangible care → tangible growth.  
The chaos still exists… but here, hands in soil, I’m rooted.My sanctuary. My therapy .

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