Quite literally getting my hands dirty at my new gardening job in ‘the horse capital of The Hunter’, has helped to bring me out on top in my recovery journey.
Not so long ago I was in a really bad place following my mother’s cancer diagnosis but since connecting with Flourish Australia and finding meaningful work cultivating veggies on a horse stud, things are turning around for me.
I have struggled with Autism type 2 and ADHD and was very dependent upon my Mum. Experiencing bullying at school led me to leave without completing my studies and left me feeling so insecure I grew very isolated, playing video games alone in my room most days.
By the age of 30, with no history of paid employment, I found myself needing to stand on my own two feet. I decided to draw on what I saw as my strengths and gardening has always brought me joy, while caring for mum for many years showed that I was dependable. With the encouragement of a lot of people in my life, including my Peer Workers from Flourish Australia’s Muswellbrook Service, I stepped out in faith to find work.
Gardening keeps my mind engaged instead of stressing, and staying active out in the fresh air takes the edge off my feelings of anxiety and depression. The garden is the size of a few large backyards and the property owner wanted to free themselves up to focus on the horses, so I take care of the whole gardening process which gives me a real sense of achievement.
I also love to get involved with Council’s local Community Garden through another local support organisation. Having freedom of choice to combine the best activities and supports for my needs is wonderful.
Through Flourish Australia, I’m building on basic life skills like cooking my own meals. Another of my interests is researching and planning things, like finding videos for DIY projects like changing brake pads on my car. I’ve studied finance and watch what others do to manage their money well. All of this has helped me to live well independently.
Staying connected is so important to my mental wellbeing so I take every opportunity I can to visit my brothers who live 100km away in Cessnock. I had never really driven anywhere without my Mum so this was a big adjustment for me to make after she passed. Flourish Australia kindly accompanied me to medical appointments and grocery shopping while I built my confidence for getting around independently.
I’m so proud of the progress I’ve made in my life. I set myself new goals all the time now and hope to one day establish my own garden once I can manage a bigger place of my own. Through my work I’ve found it’s so rewarding to harvest Spring and Summer veggies that I’ve cultivated from scratch.
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