“Knowing that you put care and love into something other than yourself and to see it flourishing feels amazing,” he says. “You take what you learn from these growing plants and then you apply it to the real world.” Caring for a living being and seeing it grow is a healing balm to the soul.

A Lesson In Empathy

Lending plants their own personality and a quirky backstory help us focus on things outside of the real world. One of the people who have taken up caring for plants as a type of self-care tells about her Tillandsia plants. Babs and Phyllis, are the “old busybodies who sit and gossip,” she says. Her cactus, named Dave, is a divorcee.

Plants With Character

And that’s never been more important than in these uncertain times. 

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

health

Health

mentalhealth

Mental Health

Taking Care of Plants is a Lesson in Empathy

In one of my very first articles, I discussed a concept called <a href="https://jamesclear.com/identity-based-habits">identity-based habits </a>. The basic idea is that the beliefs you have about yourself can drive your long-term behavior. Maybe you can trick yourself into going to the gym or eating healthy once or twice, but if you don't shift your underlying identity, then it's hard to stick with long-term changes. Most people start by focusing on outcome-based goals like "I want to lose 20 pounds" or "I want to write a best-selling book."

In one of my very first articles, I discussed a concept called identity-based habits. The basic idea is that the beliefs you have about yourself can drive your long-term behavior. Maybe you can trick yourself into going to the gym or eating healthy once or twice, but if you don't shift your underlying identity, then it's hard to stick with long-term changes.

Taking Care of Plants is a Lesson in Empathy

How to Change Your Beliefs and Stick to Your Goals for Good

Tricia MudRock