Dr. Nadia Alam is a Halton physician and past president of the Ontario Medical Association. - Metroland file photo

Dr. Nadia Alam is a Halton physician and past president of the Ontario Medical Association. - Metroland file photo

I know very little about gardening. I see my neighbours with their impeccable lawns, their beautiful flower, shrub and tree arrangements and wonder, how does all that happen?

Recently, my kids and I decided to try and bring some sense and order to our garden.

So, armed with spades, hoes, pruning shears, a really big yellow bag of soil and gardening gloves, we tackled the yard, all five of us.

We mowed the grass, laid out soil and seeded the lawn, weeded and tidied up the flower beds, pruned the trees and shrubs and repotted our indoor plants.

It was hard work — the garden had been neglected for weeks. But many hands made light work, and working outside together on a bright, sunny morning, surrounded by green, growing things that we had tended, left us refreshed and happy.

That night, my kids and I slept deeply, undisturbed and serene. We woke up feeling energetic and restored.

So of course, I did some research.

Spending time in nature — whether it’s hiking, playing in the neighbourhood park or simply gardening — can yield some impressive benefits:

• Reduced risk of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, eating disorders and substance use disorders.

• Decreased sense of isolation and loneliness

• Decreased risk of chronic illness, including asthma, obesity, diabetes and heart disease

• Decreased risk of in-hospital complications in those who are seriously ill

• Improved ability to heal from illness, trauma or surgery

• Improved immune response to illness

• Improved ability to connect with others

• An increased sense of meaning and purpose in life

Even two hours a week in nature improves a person’s overall sense of well-being.

My message: get up and get outside at least once a day every day. Spruce up your workspaces with indoor plants. Use green space photos as screensavers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has left us all physically and mentally drained. Connecting with the green spaces in our world can be exactly the solace we need.

Nadia Alam is a Georgetown physician and past president of the Ontario Medical Association. Her columns also appear on www.drnadiaalam.com. She can be reached through her website.

Mayor John Tory offered an apology Friday to the Métis people on behalf of the City of Toronto for its role in contributing to the militarized action against Métis people during the Northwest Resistance of 1885, in what is now Saskatchewan.