Green balconies: Cultivating mental wellbeing
Since the Covid-19 outbreak, mental health has become a major issue all over the world. People who deal with uncertainty, loneliness, and worry are looking for new ways to make their mental health easier.
One option that is becoming more popular is growing plants, even on balconies, which might seem like the last place you'd expect to find them.
Despite Bangladesh's tall buildings and busy streets, where space is often limited and greenery is rare, porches have become safe havens for many. Adding potted plants, herbs, and flowers to balconies to make them "green" is not only changing the way things look, but it's also having a big effect on people's mental health, especially in low- to middle-income families.
Researchers have found that spending time in nature, even in small amounts, can have a big, good effect on mental health. It's possible to feel calm, happy, and connected to the natural world by taking care of plants, feeling the soil between your fingers, and watching life grow.
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In cities like Dhaka, where green areas are hard to find and concrete jungles take over the landscape, this connection is especially important. At the height of the pandemic, when lockdowns kept people inside, staircases saved the lives of many Bangladeshis. For families who were getting used to working from home and going to school online, the balcony was a place to get some fresh air and break up the routine of life inside. Also, having plants around gave people a sense of purpose and success as they took care of their plants and watched them grow during hard times.
Information from interviews taken during the Covid-19 outbreak shows how important green balconies are for mental health.
According to a study by the Bangladesh Psychological Association, 78% of respondents said they felt calm and relaxed when they were on their porches and saw plants. Also, 62% said that taking care of plants helped them deal with the stress and worry that the pandemic caused.
Additionally, personal stories from people living all over Bangladesh show how green porches can change things.
Farhana (figurative name), a mother of two who lives in a simple flat in Dhaka, talks about how her balcony yard became her safe place during the lockdown. "My balcony garden gave me a sense of normality and peace during the chaos of the pandemic." "Amid the worry, seeing my plants grow gave me hope and joy," she says.
In the same way, Rahim (figurative name), a college student from Chittagong, talks a lot about how good his balcony yard is for him. "Taking care of my plants has been a great way for me to relax since I worry." It helps me to deal with things. "Even on the worst days, going out on my deck makes me feel better," he thinks.
Beyond the level of a person, the rise in green balconies has larger effects on the community's health. In cities with lots of people, where mental health tools are often limited, creating green spaces at the local level can help keep people from having mental health problems.
By making people feel more connected to each other, lowering stress, and improving quality of life generally, green balconies could have effects that spread throughout communities. But it's still hard to make sure that everyone has equal access to green areas, especially people who are already at a disadvantage. There may be more important things to worry about than putting green infrastructure first in low-income areas where basic services are already hard to come by.
Policymakers, architects, urban planners, and community members need to work together to fix these problems by putting the mental health of all citizens first and incorporating green initiatives into urban growth plans. As the world continues to deal with the effects of the pandemic, it has never been clearer how important it is to put mental health first. Green balconies are a great example of a grassroots solution to a world problem in Bangladesh, where people are very strong and care about each other.
Bangladeshis are taking care of their plants and their mental health by creating small patches of nature in the middle of the concrete environment, one balcony at a time.
Dr Sajal Chowdhury is an architect, educator at the Department of Architecture, CUET and researcher focusing on Environmental Experience Design, Architectural Science and Well-being.
