Homesteading With Anxiety: Tips For Getting Through the Dark Days While Running a Functioning Homestead
Whether you or someone you love is suffering from anxiety, depression, or *insert mental illness here*, you know it’s no fun at the best of times.
I know it too. I’ve suffered from a whole host of anxiety disorders over the past decade or so, including general anxiety disorder, depression, social anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD to name a few. It sucks. Plain and simple.
In fact, my anxiety was one of the reasons why I wanted to move out of the city and live a slower, quieter, simpler life in the first place.
I’ve always known that I feel most calm and peaceful when I’m away from the masses of people, traffic, lights, noises and pressures of city life and immersed in the quiet serenity of nature. Or even just when I’m in my kitchen with some candles lit and calming folk music playing in the background. Ah, pure bliss!
Homesteading: A solution to anxiety?
Homesteading naturally appealed to me as a solution to my anxiety: I could live this lifestyle that brings me peace and it could sustain me too. And the self-reliant nature of homesteading meant I could stop relying on others and feeling guilty about it (guilt, warranted or unwarranted, has been a huge driver of anxiety and depression for me).
Related: Why I Homestead
It seemed like the perfect alternative lifestyle option, and I threw myself into my homestead dream with every ounce of my being as soon as I had my “aha!” moment (as Oprah would say).
“Homesteading naturally appealed to me as a solution to my anxiety: I could live this lifestyle that brings me peace and it could sustain me too.”
In many ways, homesteading truly has been the solution to my problems. I’m happiest and most fulfilled when I’m working in the garden, baking bread and cooking meals from scratch in my kitchen, and spending family time with my loved ones around a campfire or out in nature.
But homesteading alone hasn’t cured me of mental illness. In my case, it’s in my genes, and despite the lifestyle changes, it’s still something I struggle with… Not every day, but often enough that I’ve discovered an entirely new problem to solve: How to homestead with anxiety.
Related: The Difficult Path to the Simple Life
The Pros & Cons of Homesteading with Anxiety
I’m not here to say that being a homesteader makes living with anxiety any easier or harder than living any other type of lifestyle; Simply that it comes with its own unique benefits as well as obstacles to overcome, some of which can make living with anxiety easier and some of which can make it that much more difficult.
On the plus side, if you are anything like me, homesteading can be calming and fulfilling and can take the edge off of anxiety. Living a life closer to nature, spending more time at home with family and working hard, but on your own terms, can sometimes be all you need to alleviate some of the stress and pressure that can lead to panic attacks and anxiety disorders. To me, homesteading feels like a more natural way of life and I feel more confident and in control when I’m living a more self-reliant lifestyle.
On the other hand, homesteading comes with a whole host of other stressors that the average urbanite might not even have to consider, let alone deal with. Like crop failures, sick or injured livestock, having enough food to make it through the winter or enough money for life’s necessities if you’re not working a day job. And of course, if you are working a day job (like I am), then there’s worry about how you can possibly get everything you need to accomplish done in the limited amount of time you have.
Our modern-day to-do lists already more closely resemble the Epic of Gilgamesh than traditional to-do lists of times past, and as modern homesteaders, that to-do list can seem so impossibly long that just thinking about it can cause us to curl up in the fetal position and weep. But sure as the sun rises and sets each day, the daily chores need being done no matter what.
So, how does one homestead with anxiety? How do you tackle your daily to-do list when you can’t even fathom getting out of bed let alone pouring a bunch of energy you don’t have into running a functioning homestead?
Strategies that Have Helped Me Cope
1. Give Yourself Grace!
This is the thing I struggle with the most but am actively working on the hardest: Showing myself the same compassion when I’m going through a hard time as I would show to a good friend (or even a stranger!)
Related: Cultivating Peace (& other New Year’s Resolutions)
Often times we are our own harshest critics and we expect more from ourselves than others expect from us. It can seem like the weight of the world is on our shoulders and if we even have one bad day then the world as we know it will come to an end!
But the truth is, the world won’t end if you give 70% instead of 100% while you take some time to get back on track and focus on your own wellbeing. And if you can’t even give 70%, that’s okay too. You’re human! And if you deal with mental illness there may well be days you can’t do anything! I will tackle how to deal with that in the next piece of advice, but for now just be kind to yourself.
Know that as hard as it is to let go of having to do everything, the most important thing is getting through this difficult time and taking care of yourself so you don’t end up in an even worse condition (maybe even hospitalized).
No matter who you are, where you are or what your responsibilities, you need to take care of yourself first, otherwise you won’t be able to take care of everyone and everything else to the best of your ability.
Take the advice you would give to your best friend if he or she came to you and told you they felt like you feel right now. Be kind. Be gracious. Be compassionate. Practice love and self care and prioritize your own wellbeing above all else. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself and everyone around you, and it will almost always speed up recovery time.
2. Rely on Others
“I don’t care if you’re Ma Ingalls or Mick Dodge, every human being relies on a community of others for survival in some capacity.”
Okay, first of all, let’s bust the “myth of self-reliance.” Yes, it is possible to live a self-reliant life in this day and age, but no, it’s not possible to be 100% self-reliant all the time. I don’t care if you’re Ma Ingalls or Mick Dodge, every human being relies on a community of others for survival in some capacity.
Sometimes we need to rely a little more on others, and that’s okay! It doesn’t mean we need to go on welfare or rely on the government or big, heartless corporations to provide for us while we sit on the dole.
It doesn’t mean you are sacrificing your morals or your pride or integrity if sometimes you need to lean on others a little more. It means you are human and you are a valuable member of a community that needs you too, and that’s what communities do for each other: They lift you up when you’re down because you would (and do) do the same for them.
Your community could be your town, your neighbourhood, your commune, your church, your coworkers, your circle of friends, your family or a combination of all of the above. It could sometimes mean just your spouse or your kids or your mom or even an outreach worker in the community if you really feel you have no one else to turn to. But don’t go it alone to save your pride. Trust me, no one will judge you or think of you as a lesser person for reaching out in a time of need, and if they do they are not worth being a member in your tribe.
As homesteaders especially, it can be easy to fall into the trap of feeling like we have to do it all ourselves all the time, but in truth, homesteaders in years gone by had a network of people they could rely on to help them out in times of need.
If you’re physically hurt or incapacitated, you probably wouldn’t think quite so hard about asking for help getting your daily chores done. So when you’re mentally incapacitated it shouldn’t be any different.
Unfortunately I understand that there is still a stigma attached to mental health and it can be hard to ask for help when you feel your problems are literally “all in your head,” but I am giving you full permission right now: Ask for help! Delegate tasks to other members of your family/homestead and even hire out help if you can to lighten your load. Remember, it’s just temporary, but this too will speed your recovery up as it frees your time to focus on yourself and get better.
As for ongoing anxiety, assess how much you are actually doing yourself and see what tasks you can permanently assign to others in your family or community. You may find you just have too much on your plate altogether, which brings me to my third piece of advice…
3. Stop trying to do it all (perfectly)
This really goes hand-in-hand with my former two points, but this time I’m talking about really assessing what your expectations are of yourself and deciding what is realistic.
For me, I strive to make all of my meals from scratch and stick to a really tight budget, but I find that when my anxiety gets really bad, I can barely open a jar of food once a day let alone cook every meal from scratch. So I settle for eating (affordable) takeout or making simple meals like a sandwich and soup, and maybe I even buy my bread from the store because *gasp* that’s okay!
The only person judging me for it is me, so I give myself grace (remember that one?) and I tell myself it’s okay, I will get through this and then I will feel like baking bread again when I’m feeling better.
For you, anxiety might hit during canning season when you’ve got 50 lbs. of tomatoes about to rot on the vine if you don’t pick them and process them. Think of what you can do to alleviate pressure: Maybe just pick them and throw them in the freezer until you are feeling up to canning. Or make it part of your kids’ weekly chores, or even pay the neighbour kid a few bucks to pick them if you can’t even do that.
Sometimes it’s okay to do the bare minimum and tackle the harder things later. Sometimes it’s okay to just freeze the tomatoes or buy a loaf of bread or eat takeout!
If anxiety is ongoing, look at lessening your overall load. Maybe this means growing less food so you can manage growing, harvesting and preserving your crops without being too overwhelmed. Maybe it means cooking mostly from scratch but being okay with buying staple food items like breads and condiments and even cheese instead of making them yourself if that’s what you strive to do. It could even mean enrolling your kids in public school if you are trying to handle homeschooling at the same time. It’s different for everyone, but find some things you can scrape off your plate and stop trying to do it all (perfectly) by yourself.
Remember, it is always better to lighten your load and focus your time and energy on your own healing and wellbeing first, then tackle the next goal or project on your to-do list. Which again leads in to my fourth piece of advice…
4. Prioritize ruthlessly
So, have I mentioned that your own health and wellbeing should be priority number one? Oh, I have? Good. Let that sink in until you believe it to the core of your being.
Next… What’s next? Write out a list of all of the things you feel you need to get done in a day to keep your life and homestead functioning optimally. Then prioritize that list by numbering each task starting with #1: Take care of thine own self.
Then figure out what comes next on your list. What else is absolutely vital? What has to get done each day no matter what? Your top few priorities will probably be things like Feed and Care for Children, Feed and Water Livestock/Pets, Collect Eggs, Milk Cow, Water Garden, Prepare Dinner, etc…
Further down the list you might have things like Chop Firewood for Winter, Weed Garden, Bake Bread, Meal Prep, etc…
And even further down the list you might have things like Build New Shed, Fix Old Generator That’s Been Sitting Behind the Garage Forever, Start Homestead Blog, Darn Socks, or better yet, Throw Socks Away and Buy New Socks.
The point is, prioritize your list and then look over it and categorize it into chunks of “Things that Must Get Done,” “Things That Should Get Done Soon-ish” and “Things I’d Like to Get Done But They Can Totally Wait And If They Don’t Get Done No Big Deal.” Be honest. Be ruthless. Perhaps even take this time to eliminate some things altogether.
Once you’ve narrowed your list down to the vitally important “Things You Must Get Done,” then apply the previous pieces of advice. Try to assign some tasks to other people, and be okay with doing the bare minimum and not even doing that perfectly.
If you have children to care for, let them watch TV or a movie if that entertains them and keeps them busy right now. Or better yet, get them to take on some extra chores to help out if they are old enough. If you have livestock to feed, get out there, get it done and worry about switching out bedding and mucking out pens another day.
Just do what is absolutely necessary. It all comes back to freeing up as much time as possible for self care right now. That is always priority number one!
5. Take time away from your homestead
It is all too easy for homesteaders to never take a break from being at home. After all, most of our life, work and play revolves around our homes and requires us to be here most of the time.
Also, we tend to be a bit of an introverted bunch who sometimes teeter on the edge of being isolated hermits. After all, this tendency towards introversion and reclusiveness is what appeals to many of us about the homesteading lifestyle to begin with.
But it’s not healthy for anyone to spend 100% of their time at home. Push yourself to get out and take a break. Enjoy a change of scenery. Go for a walk in the park or even go to town and treat yourself to an ice cream or a latte from a café.
Go to the library. Sit on a patio and people watch. Go on a picnic with your family. Find a local event and join in. Volunteer. Anything to get you out and away from home for a little while. Sometimes all we need is a change of scenery to give us new perspective and help lift the cloud that’s been hanging over us.
If you have social anxiety, just go somewhere quiet like a secluded beach or for a walk in the woods or just a nice, long country drive. Just get out for a while. Home will be there when you return.
Other Tips:
There are so many other things I could suggest to help ease the burden of anxiety, regardless of whether you’re a homesteader or not. Practice mindfulness, deep breathing and meditation regularly. (There is lots of info online about this stuff so I will leave it to you to do further research on this).
Also, find a mantra or two that you can repeat to yourself that will help you get through the hardest of times. I often repeat the mantra “This Too Shall Pass” to myself when I’m really struggling and this reminds me that what I’m going through is only temporary. Another good mantra is “Let Go,” or “I Am Enough.” Find what works for you.
“Have faith that all things happen for a reason and will work out as they should”
And have faith. Whether you are Christian or you are of another faith or you are simply spiritual or even if you are an atheist, look to a power higher than yourself (even atheists know we’re not the most powerful force in the Universe) and have faith that all things happen for a reason and will work out as they should. Know that the difficult times in life are what shape your character and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Be thankful for the challenges you face because you will emerge a stronger, better, more enlightened person in the end.
Related: The 5 Rs of Homesteading: 5 Traits that Will Make You a Successful Homesteader
Read. Read books about dealing with anxiety and depression; About spirituality and our purpose here on Earth; About other people’s inspiring stories and how they’ve overcome or learned to cope with anxiety and depression. Or listen to podcasts or audiobooks or read articles online. This is always a huge help for me.
Lastly, get enough sleep, exercise regularly and eat as healthy as you can. Living an overall healthy lifestyle will decrease your chances of having anxiety attacks and will likely lessen their severity when they hit. Just know that you can do everything “right” and still have an anxiety attack.
You can do all of the things you know you should do and you might still battle depression. Don’t blame yourself. Beating yourself up won’t do any good. Just take a deep breath and start back at square one: Give yourself grace. Everything will be alright. Just breathe.
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It’s easy to romanticize homesteading, but the truth is that those homegrown vegetables, those freshly laid eggs, that loaf of bread rising on the counter, and that pantry full of home-canned food takes time, effort and dedication. It doesn’t “just happen” overnight!
But if you work on learning one new skill at a time and gain confidence in it before moving onto the next, one day you’ll be looking back and marvelling at how far you’ve come.
That’s where I’m at now. Life today looks a lot different than it did 10 years ago, when our homesteading and self-reliance journey was just beginning.
Back then we still lived in our city condo and were just beginning to dabble in all of this stuff. But my husband Ryan and I felt a sense urgency to start pursuing a more self-reliant lifestyle, and we committed to taking small steps, one day at a time to make that vision a reality.
Over the years we’ve continued to put one foot in front of the other, adding new skills and tackling new projects along the way that have helped us get to where we are today.
While there’s always more we want to learn and do, as I look around me right now, I’m so grateful that we took those first steps, especially considering what’s happened in the world over the past few years!
If you’re also feeling the urgency to take the first (or next) steps toward a more self-reliant life, this is your final reminder that today is the last day to join The Society of Self-Reliance and start levelling up your homesteading and self-sufficiency skills so that you’ve got what it takes to:
• Grow your own groceries
• Stock your pantry
• Create a natural home
• Get prepared
• Learn other important life skills like time management for homesteaders, goal setting and how to become your own handyman
And more!
If you’ve been feeling called to level up your self-reliance skills (because let’s be honest, we’re in for a wild ride these next few years with everything going on in the world), now is the time to heed that call.
Link in profile to enroll before midnight tonight, or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society
#homesteading #selfreliance #selfsufficiency #homesteadingskills #preparedness
There are so many reasons to grow your own food at home:
💰 Saves you money at the grocery store
🍴 Healthier than conventionally grown food
🔑 increases your overall food security
🫙 Gives you an abundance to preserve and share
But perhaps the number one reason is because it just tastes better!
Not only does food taste better when it’s freshly picked or allowed to ripen on the vine, there’s something about putting in the work to grow something from a tiny seed and then getting to see it on your dinner plate that just makes it so much more satisfying than anything you’ll ever buy from the store.
Plus, having to wait all year for fresh tomatoes or strawberries or zucchinis to be in season makes that short period when they’re available just that much more exciting!
With the world spinning out of control and food prices continuing to rise, it’s no wonder more people are taking an interest in learning to grow their own food at home. But that also means changing our relationship with food and learning to appreciate the work that goes into producing it and the natural seasonality of organically grown fruits and vegetables.
(It also means learning to preserve it so you can make the most of it and enjoy homegrown food all year long).
In my online membership program, The Society of Self-Reliance, you’ll learn how to grow your own food, from seed to harvest, as well as how to preserve it so you can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor all year long!
You’ll also learn how to grow and craft your own herbal medicine, detox your home, become your own handyman, and so much more (because self-reliance is about more than just the food that we eat… But that’s a pretty good place to start!)
The doors to the Society are now open for a limited time only. Click the link in my profile or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society to learn more.
#foodsecurity #homegrownfood #homesteading #selfreliance #selfsufficiency #homegrownfoodjusttastesbetter
If you’ve been watching events unfold over the past few years and you’re feeling called to start “cutting ties” with the system and begin reclaiming your independence, The Society of Self-Reliance was made for you!
When I first launched this online membership program last year, my goal was to create a one-stop resource where members could go to learn and practice every aspect of self-reliance, as well as a space to connect with other like-minded people pursuing the same goal. And that’s exactly what you’ll get when you join!
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn inside the Society:
🌱 Food Security and Self-Sufficiency: Learn the art of growing and preserving your own food, ensuring you and your loved ones have access to nutritious meals year-round.
🌿 Natural Living and Herbal Medicine Mastery: Discover the secrets to creating a low-tox home and and to growing, making and using herbal remedies to support your family’s health, naturally.
🔨 Essential Life Skills: Learn essential life skills like time management, effective goal setting and practical DIY skills to become more self-sufficient.
As a member, you’ll enjoy:
📚 Monthly Video Lessons: Gain access to our ever-growing library of video lessons, with fresh content added each month.
📞 Live Group Coaching Calls: Participate in our monthly live group coaching calls, where we deep dive into a different self-reliance topic every month, and do live demonstrations and Q&A’s.
🏡 Private Community: Join our private community forum where you can ask questions, share your progress, and connect with like-minded individuals.
I only open the doors to The Society once or twice each year, but right now, for one week only, you can become a member for just $20/month (or $200/year).
In today’s world, self-reliance is no longer a luxury, a “cute hobby,” it’s a necessity. Join us inside The Society of Self-Reliance and empower yourself with the skills you need to thrive in the new world!
Link in profile or visit thehouseandhomestead.com/society to learn more.
#selfreliance #selfreliant #selfsufficiency #selfsufficientliving #sustainableliving #modernhomesteading #homesteadingskills #preparedness
Got out for an early morning harvest today. Been up since 3am, contemplating life, the future and the past, the order of things…
There is a rumbling right now, not just in North America, but around the world. Many of us can feel it, and know we are on the precipice of something big.
I’d been hearing about this new song that’s become an overnight viral sensation, written by an (until now) unknown singer named Oliver Anthony. His new song Rich Men North of Richmond has had 14 million views on YouTube in the past week alone, so I decided to check it out.
I also saw a clip of him playing a Farmers Market last week, and anything that has to do with Farmers Markets always has my attention;)
I can’t tell you how many tears I’ve already cried listening to that song. If you’ve heard it already, you probably know what I’m talking about, and if you haven’t, I highly recommend giving it a listen. All I can say is it’s been a while since a song resonated so deeply with me, and in this strange new world, I know I’m not the only one.
One of the lines in Anthony’s song is “Livin’ in the new world, with an old soul,” and that’s something I think so many of us in the homesteading community can relate to.
Trying to cling to better days; To a simpler time; To the old ways, all while doing our best to get by in the new world.
The world has changed drastically in the last few years especially, and it’s set to change in immense ways over the next few years. Today I’m feeling thankful for people like @oliver_anthony_music_ who give a voice to what so many are feeling right now.
Know that if you’re feeling it too, you’re far from alone. And while the future may feel uncertain and even a little scary, remember that if we stand united, we the people are a force to be reckoned with.
(Continued in comments…)
Another garlic harvest in the books!
Garlic is easily one of my favourite crops to grow. It’s pretty much a “set if and forget it” crop. We plant in the fall and leave it to overwinter, fertilize a couple times in the spring, start watering only once the ground starts to dry out, and then harvest in the summer. We can even plant a fall succession crop after our garlic if we want so it really makes great use of garden space all year round.
Over the years we’ve managed to become completely self-sufficient with garlic. We now grow enough to eat all year (and then some!), plus we save our own seed garlic and usually have extra to sell or give away. And around here fresh, organic garlic ain’t cheap, so it’s a good cash crop for anyone who’s serious about selling it.
It took me a few years to really get the hang of garlic, but it’s one crop I’m now very confident with (knock on wood, because it’s always when we make statements like this that next year’s crop fails! Lol.)
A while back I compiled a comprehensive guide to growing, harvesting and using garlic both as an edible and medicinal crop. This is usually only available as part of a paid bundle (or in the fall 2022 issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine if you’re a subscriber;), but for a limited time I’m offering it for free, no strings attached!
Plus you’ll also get access to my step-by-step video lesson on planting garlic so you can set yourself up for success with your garlic crop this year.
Comment “Garlic” below or head to thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-guide to get your free copy!
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#garlic #garlicharvest #homesteading #selfsufficient #selfsufficiency #selfsufficientliving #selfreliance #homegrown #groworganic #growfoodnotlawns #gardenersofinstagram #homesteadersofinstagram
Going through photos and videos from our trip to the @modernhomesteadingconference and the vast majority are of our daughter having the time of her life!
Even if I personally got nothing else out of this gathering (which I most certainly did), watching her discover her own love of this lifestyle outside of what we do at home made my heart grow three sizes!
Homesteading is about so much more than homegrown food and self-reliance. It’s about passing on invaluable skills and an understanding of and respect for our connection to the land that provides for us to the next generation.
Being around so many other kids and families who are also pursuing a homesteading lifestyle helped show our little one that this is a movement that is so much bigger and greater than what our own family does on our little plot of land. This is a lifestyle worth pursuing, with a community unlike any other.
Glad to be back home and more excited than ever to involve my kids in everything we’re doing. But also, I think I speak for my whole family when I say we can’t wait to go back someday!
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#homesteading #modernhomesteading #raisinglittles
If you’re simply looking for ways to save a little extra cash this summer and live well for less, here are 12 tried and tested frugal living tips for summer that you can use to save money this season without sacrificing a thing.
Head over using the link in my bio!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-frugal-living-tips-summer/
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A brand new issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine just dropped!
In this issue:
🌱 How to forage and use five common edible and medicinal weeds
🏠 A sustainable, affordable alternative to traditional homes, greenhouses and more
👨👩👧👦 Tips for managing a homestead while raising a family (big or small!)
🫙 What to focus on when preserving food for true food security
🌹 How to grow and arrange your own cut flowers at home
🍓 The many ways to preserve summer berries (including 5 delicious recipes!)
💇How to make your own all-natural herbal hair care products at home
🧑🌾 Why “community sufficiency” is the new self-sufficiency
And more!
Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com (or click the link in my bio) to subscribe or login to the library and read the latest issue.
Plus, be sure to check out all of our past issues as well! There’s a wealth of information in our library on everything from farming and gardening to cooking and canning to herbal medicine, natural living and so much more!
*** This will be the last quarterly issue! ***
This little magazine has grown so much over the past 4 years and 32 issues, and now it’s time for another exciting evolution.
I’m excited to announce that we will be moving to an even more robust annual publication with the intention of offering the first ever print edition this fall if there is enough demand.
I’m also excited to announce the brand new Modern Homesteading Magazine blog, which is currently under construction and will be launching soon. While we will still be maintaining digital subscriptions, the blog will be accessible to all, free of charge, so that more people might benefit from the empowering and increasingly important information that we cover in each issue.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this issue happen! @homesteadingfamily @oatsandhoneyhomestead @omnivore.culture @thetaylor.leigh @doeraydesign (and more who don’t have IG pages;)
And a HUGE thank you to everyone who has subscribed over the years. Modern Homesteading Magazine would never have become what it is today without each and every one of you.
#homesteading #modernhomesteading #selfsufficiency
If you’ve ever grown your own garlic, you might have noticed the spiral-shaped shoots that suddenly pop up in the centre of the stem, usually about a month or so before the garlic bulbs themselves are ready to be harvested.
These are garlic scapes, and believe it or not- they make delicious pesto! Get the recipe through the link in my bio- https://thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-scape-pesto/
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This honey and chive blossom vinaigrette is a frugal, easy and healthy homemade salad dressing that pairs beautifully with fresh garden salads all season long.
Get the recipe through the link in my bio.
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/chive-blossom-vinaigrette/
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Whether you live in the city and grow a few herbs on your balcony, have a few backyard chickens in the suburbs or live in the country and have a larder full of enough home-canned food to survive the apocalypse, if living a more homemade, homegrown, self-sufficient lifestyle is important to you, Modern Homesteading Magazine was made for you!
Read it today through the link in my bio!
https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com/
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#houseandhomestead
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This radish top pesto recipe makes good use of the edible radish greens that often get discarded once they’re separated from the root. The end result is a peppery, slightly spicy twist on a classic pesto recipe.
A perfect condiment for all your summer snacking!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/radish-top-pesto-recipe/
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#homesteadmom
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#summeronthehomestead
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
Thank you for this post. I’m a new homesteader (about 18 months in now) and I suffer from anxiety and depression too. It sounds like your reasons for getting into this lifestyle are very similar to mine. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who feels overwhelmed. I have considered writing about it on my site, but have been nervous to open up. Thanks to this list I’m feeling better about sharing.
Hi Eliza,
You’re definitely not alone. Anxiety and depression affect tens of millions of people in the U.S. alone. But sadly, these type of mental health issues still carry a stigma. Living closer to nature can definitely help to ease some of the symptoms of anxiety and depression though. And homesteading allows us to take control over our lives and our health, which can help us feel more empowered and lessen some of the anxiety that we feel from being slaves to the system and the rat race of modern day life.
I hope you do choose to share your own story and feelings about this topic on your blog. The only way we’re going to progress and break these stigmas (and let others know they’re not alone) is to keep talking about it.
And good luck on your homesteading journey! If you need any help or advice please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Anna
I’ve been thinking about writing this article for awhile now, but I don’t have a blog (yet)! You’ve summed it up pretty well and it leaves me thinking we may have a very similar outlook and homesteading style.
I might add that taking stock of what you HAVE accomplished can help put things back into perspective. Learned to bake bread? Got a flock of chickens? Started a garden? Feeling proud of what you’ve done can help shift the negativity and hopefully inspire more action.
Yes! I love that idea of taking stock of what you have accomplished can put things in perspective. I guess that falls into the “practicing gratitude” category. Be thankful for what you do have.
I would love to read your blog once you get it set up! I’m always looking to connect with other like-minded people and blogging has been such an awesome way to do that!
Anna