Plant Parenting: Its Influences on the Well-Being of College Students

The study explored the influence of plant parenting on the well-being of AB Psychology students during a pandemic. It further described the participants' engagement in plant-parenting, the benefits gained by the participants during the Pandemic, the challenges met by the participants during the Pandemic, and the improvements in wellbeing based on the participants' experiences as they engaged in plant-parenting. This study utilized a qualitative research method with purposive sampling for the number of participants. Semi-structured with open-ended interview guide questions were used to gather the necessary data for the study. Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis was adopted in the study's data analysis. Codes, categories, and common themes were identified from the transcript of in-depth interviews. Thirteen (13) emergent themes were established from the participants' responses that were classified under three (3) overarching themes that provided answers to the sub-problems. The emergent themes were extracted from the significant statements of the key participants. For the description of the participants on their experiences during the Pandemic, the overarching theme, Experience of the Participants During the Pandemic , has four (4) emergent themes that were classified as Lack of Social/Physical Interaction , Negative Physical Effects ; Spending with their Family ; and By Being Influenced to do Home Gardening. For the Plant-parenting on influencing the participant's ways of coping with the challenges met, the overarching theme is Plant-parenting on Influencing the Participant Ways of Coping, which has five (5) emergent themes that were classified as Gardening as a Coping Mechanism ; Enhancing Self-Care; Developing Awareness; Character Development; and Improvement of Wellbeing . For the challenges on the participant's wellbeing during the Pandemic, the overarching theme is Challenges Affecting the Wellbeing during the Pandemic has four (4) emergent themes: Emerging Family Issues , Emerging Issues of Mental Stability , maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle , and Academic Performance. The findings and recommendations derived from the study were used to address the challenges met during a pandemic and to promote healthy well-being through plant parenting.


Introduction
The SARS-CoV-19 2019 (COVID-19) spread fast, starting from Wuhan, China, to other parts of the continent that turned into a pandemic that caused countries to close borders and implement lockdowns to minimize the transmission of infections and avoid an outbreak.The rise of recorded conditions globally and nationally resulted in an impact, especially on every individual well-Furthermore, now, people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, especially now in these crises and the development of the COVID-19 pandemic.Moreover, Filipinos are not exempt from this Pandemic.Filipinos are also following the indoor gardening trend.Aside from succulents and aesthetically looking plants, Filipinos are more interested in planting for ingredients during this lockdown.Encouraged by the Department of Agriculture, the reason to cope with the new normal of having a food supply and at the same time to de-stress.It also helps in having a new job by selling some plants, not much but a big help for having three times a day meal (Deng & Deng, 2018).
In Cebu, a group of people created a group page for plants-parents them to barter with their plants for interactions, which is good because they do not spend much money.They could have fun.Furthermore, a group of plant enthusiasts, the Plant Buddy PH from Cebu, give suggestions and advice on how to grow a healthy plant during this crisis, and most of them are students, admitting that engaging in a green environment has been a good therapy and coping mechanism during this lockdown (Santelmann et al., 2011).
They say millennials or Gen Z likes to post their plants on social media platforms, and with that, it inspires others to discover the power of it.This study aims to identify the benefits of home gardening to AB Psychology students and their overall well-being.With this, gardening has expanded its reason why it is important and how beneficial it is to humanity, especially to everyone's wellbeing, particularly students stressed with online classes.Plant-parenting has numerous known benefits, even if it is tedious, but it outweighs the efforts.

Theoretical Background
This section tackled several theories related to the study, which helps explain the influences of plant parenting on college students' well-being.It also limits the scope of the relevant data of the study.Moreover, it can be used in analyzing and interpreting the data to formulate an implication for the study.The theories explain how home gardening benefits all aspects of human life, primarily psychological and mental.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge to all humankind, despite the different statuses in life and the implementation of lockdowns worldwide due to risks, especially to people over 70, children, PWD, and pregnant women.As the Pandemic extended to its expected time frame, the lockdown extended too, and people began looking for more things to cope with their wellbeing, which is where House Gardening became a trend.Some experiences and experts say that gardening benefits some aspects of human life, such as physical, mental, and emotional health, and even improves sleep during a crisis.These perceived health benefits can help individuals cope with the stress and anxiety that Covid 19 brought.This study is anchored on the Stress Recovery Theory by van den Berg and Custers (2011), which states the benefits when an individual is exposed to nature: decreased anxiety, lower heart rates, skin conductance recovery, lower concentrates of cortisol, and positive changes in nerve activity (Alvarsson et al., 2010;Bowler et al., 2010;Park et al., 2010;Park et al., 2017;Russell et al., 2013).It is also reported that the effects of viewing images of nature are exceptional (Ryan et al., 2014), and the positive relationships between man and indoor gardening give overall health and stress reduction (de Vries et al., 2003).In addition, Berto 2014, states that being in natural environments helps mitigate the adverse impacts of stress, enabling individuals to rebound more swiftly from the decline in cognitive performance linked to stress, particularly in tasks related to attention.Living in urban areas with green spaces is a significant predictor of stress (Thompson et al., 2016) and can lower mental distress and higher well-being (White et al. (2013).The Journal of Health Psychology noted that gardening proves to be a more potent stress-reduction method than reading a book.
Meanwhile, the Journal of Public Health reported that gardening for as little as 30 minutes improved mood and increased selfesteem.Gardening holds significant promise for individuals with specific mental health requirements, providing many activities and options that surpass those available in any other therapeutic pursuit.They call this process Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH).STH and similar green care interventions can (1) Reduce depression, anxiety, and stress-related symptoms; (2) Alleviate the symptoms of dementia, such as aggressive behavior; (3) Increase the ability to concentrate and engage; (4) Reduce reliance on medication, self-harming behavior; (5) Helps people who are recovering from surgeries and other medical treatments; (6) Improves social interaction; (7) Improves different mental skills such as memory, alertness, and cognition; (8) Helps people overcome their difficulties with drug and alcohol (Schmutzs et al., 2014).Growing plants is an excellent stress reliever, as seeing the garden thrive can be very rewarding.That explains why many people have begun gardening to cope with home quarantine (Mendoza, 2020).With scientific reasons to support it, gardening benefits one's mental health and welfare, from reducing stress to boosting the immune system (Lagdamen, 2020).
It is also anchored on the Attention Restoration Theory or ART by Kaplan 1995.ART proposes that an individual's exposure to nature can help improve attention, focus, and concentration (Ohly et al., 2016).The theory was developed during the 1980s and early 1990s when rapid technological development increased.As a result, more families spent more time inside their houses, which is Kaplan's concern because of the lack of exposure to nature.Today, as the Pandemic forces billions of people locked in their houses due to the coronavirus scare, it is now limited to spending time with nature.A year after the Pandemic started, more and more stressed individuals are trying to cope with the Pandemic.People are now in need of exposure to nature.Thus, they buy plants to relieve themselves.In support of the Attention Restoration Theory, indoor gardening or natural environment helps an individual to replenish and recover brain functions (Kaplan, 1995).According to Mendoza, 2020, "Growing plants is an excellent stress reliever as it can be gratifying to see your garden thrive.That explains why many people have begun gardening to cope with home quarantine.Plants can contribute to the health at home.They improve the air quality inside the house and can help manage the temperature".Indoor gardening is a natural stress reliever.Like another form of sport, Gardening is a great way to calm the mind.Working with plants and being in a green space provides profound stress relief and positive sensory stimulation (Lagdamen, 2020).Plant-filled homes and areas can also boost memory and heighten the attention span from the stressors.Individuals in stressful environments and situations commonly become more prone to irritability and forgetfulness.
Having plants around can also help improve mood, boost memory, and have a longer attention span, making humans more relaxed and stable.(Hall, 2020).Today, the increase in mental stress in modern adults is led by the advancements in electronic devices, and detaching this becomes crucial to mental health.The study aims to examine the benefits of contact with indoor plants.The study's objective is to investigate the advantages of interaction with indoor plants.It assessed the impact of transplanting plants as a horticultural activity, comparing it to working on a mobile phone as a control activity, by measuring blood pressure, using electroencephalography (EEG), employing the semantic differential method (SDM), and administering the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).
The SDM data showed that when exposed to plants, the subject felt more relaxed, comfortable, and natural-and also experienced lower anxiety after the process of transplantation of plants compared to the control group.It showed that the alpha and beta wave mean values increased over time during the process but decreased at the end of the control task.After transplanting plants, results in mean meditation show a significantly higher score.As a result, contact with plants indicates that it may minimize stress (Hassan et al., 2018).Additionally, exposure to nature enhances memory retention and concentration.This demonstrates that activities carried out in a tranquil natural setting are executed more effectively and accurately, leading to superior outcomes.A recent study conducted at the University of Michigan revealed that being in the presence of plants can boost memory retention by as much as twenty percent (Sewach).The influence of natural elements in both residential and occupational environments stimulates the senses and the intellect, thereby enhancing cognitive abilities and overall performance (Yannick, 2009).
Restoration is also a widely known topic in environmental psychology.It explains the dynamic connection between man and the environment or surroundings.It is also included when an individual is exposed to nature, and it can help restore attention, energy, and well-being while experiencing nature (Clay, 2001).With the onset of the Pandemic, this subject has increased its attention to the public since people are now locked in their houses and have limited time access to nature.In cognitive psychology, James-Lange's theory of emotion proposes that emotions will occur because of physiological reactions.As our response to this Pandemic, a high-stress level is recorded, higher than in previous years (American Psychological Association, 2020).These natural environments also offer direct health advantages to urban residents by providing spaces for physical activity, social interaction, and promoting psychological restoration.(Lee et al., 2015).In the psychological aspect, gardening or house gardening can help alleviate stress and give off positive vibes (Lafortezza et al., 2009).
The Schachter-Singer theory represents an illustration of a cognitive theory of emotion known as the two-factor theory of emotions..The theory comprises two key components: physical arousal and a cognitive label, which suggests that physiological arousal must occur first, which the mind then identifies and labels as an emotion.Schachter and Singer's theory was based on the James-Lange and Cannon-Bard theories.Just like the theory of James-Lange, Schachter-Singer theory suggests that people gather emotions based on physiological responses.The situation and the cognitive interpretation that individuals employ to identify and label their emotions are crucial determinants in this process.On the other side, the Cannon-Bard theory also suggests that physiological responses can also produce diverse emotions.For example, if someone experiences a racing heart and sweaty palms during a significant exam, they are likely to interpret and label that emotion as anxiety.
Furthermore, experiencing the same physical responses on a date might be interpreted as love, affection, or arousal.According to Yun-Ah Oh, 2019 "Psychological benefits of foliage plants as visual stimuli.Twenty-three elementary students (aged 11 to 13 years old) participated in this study.In a crossover design, electroencephalography (EEG) was used to measure and determine the psycho-physiological effects of four different visual stimuli: an actual plant, an artificial plant, a photograph of a plant, and no plant.Subjective evaluations of emotions were assessed using the profile of mood state and semantic differential methods immediately after exposure to each visual stimulus.A significant decrease in theta waves of the frontal lobe was associated with the presentation of the actual plants.This response indicated that viewing living plants prompted improvements in the attention and concentration of the elementary students.Furthermore, the presentation of the living plants was associated with more positive mood states, such as feelings of comfort and naturalness.In conclusion, actual plants may improve attention and prompt psychological relaxation in elementary students relative to artificial plants, photographs of plants, or the absence of plants." The Cannon-Bard theory of emotion is another well-known physiological theory developed by Walter Cannon and Philip Bard, also known as the Thalamic theory of emotion, which differs from the James-Lange theory of emotion on several grounds.Initially, he proposed that individuals can undergo physiological reactions associated with emotions without necessarily experiencing the corresponding emotional feelings.He added that the emotional responses happen too fast to be a product of physical states.The Cannon-Bard theory of emotion posits that we feel emotions and simultaneously experience physiological reactions like sweating, trembling, and muscle tension.
In particular, the theory posits that emotions arise when the thalamus transmits a message to the brain in response to a stimulus, leading to a physiological reaction.Concurrently, the brain also receives signals that initiate the emotional experience.Cannon and Bard's theory indicates that the physical and psychological facets of emotion occur simultaneously, with neither causing the other.
Another theory associated with this study is the Theory of Cognitive Appraisal by Richard Lazarus (1984), which proposes that when a particular situation occurs, it involves the stimulus, followed by the thoughts, which leads to the synchronized Experience of the physiological and emotional response."Thinking must occur first before experiencing emotion" (Lazarus, 1984, para.1).Lazarus also argued that individual experiences may contribute to stress levels that can lead to anxiety.However, it can depend on how an individual will handle and interpret the outcome of a specific event (Lazarus, 1991).That is where the problem of this study relates.This Pandemic has given much negativity to individuals, significantly since the lockdown has extended due to the new variants of COVID-19 and until the vaccination has not been distributed to other parts of the country, so thought alone can make individuals think resulting to do something to cope with and can alleviate what people think at that situation.For example, as a person thinks about the crisis, they will naturally experience negative vibes, and with that, they eventually look for something to hope for amidst the situation.That is where House Gardening happens because, according to some research, being in a natural environment or green spaces reduces psychological distress, depression symptoms, clinical anxiety, and mood disorders in adults ( ).People will resort to house gardening, especially those who love nature, to alleviate or make it a coping mechanism for the crisis digging in their minds.Another theory that supports the study is the Supportive Environment Theory (SET) by Ghran.The theory asserts that individuals require nurturing environments for both physical development (including sensory, muscular, and locomotor aspects) and mental development (encompassing the capacity to experience emotions and think).(Grahn,2011).Supportive Environment Theory discusses the need to support environments depending on the person's physical body and cognitive function, situation and state of mental health, and scope of meaning.Grahn (1991) and Grahn et al. (2010) proposed the concept of the scope of meaning, suggesting that there is a range within which nature, culture, and people can influence an individual's sense of meaning (including comprehensibility, manageability, and significance).This influence is dependent on the person's current mental and physical capabilities.
Furthermore, exposure to natural environments enhances the capacity of children with attention deficit disorder to enhance their focus, concentration, and overall engagement with their surroundings, as indicated by a study conducted (Kuo, 2004).That is where the study is related: when an individual experiences distress or illnesses due to the crisis, they need strong support from the environment, nature, or green spaces for their physical and emotional well-being.
Another theory relevant to this study is the Psycho-evolutionary Theory, which emphasizes a rapid physiological and emotiondriven process of recovering from stress-related symptoms.Ulrich (1993Ulrich ( , 1999) ) argued that "humans have an inherent inclination to affiliate with nature.
He contends that specific natural environments played a vital role in human survival for the majority of our evolutionary history.He further suggests that the stress-reducing benefits of nature are attributed to unconscious processes and impacts situated within the most ancient, emotion-driven regions of the brain.It shows that people who spend time cultivating plants have less stress than those who do not.Plants have a calming effect on human beings and offer a constructive outlet for individuals to redirect their stress towards nurturing activities.(McFarland, 2010)."People can depend on nature to alleviate the stress they have felt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for it is already innate to be secured in the arms of nature.It can act as therapy for people who have undergone trauma.Caring for something can serve as a means for individuals to address the challenges related to traumatic events and enhance their mental well-being (Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens 2009).
According to Mendoza, "Growing plants reduces stress.It helps with depression and anxiety as it gives a task to focus one's attention.It also places a positive mindset -seeing living things grow and thrive.Breathing in the fresh air from the garden and touching the warm soil can boost serotonin levels and reduce anxiety."Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), states that sustenance intercessions are outlined, particularly those including youthful children (Berlin et al., 2013).The social Cognitive Hypothesis hypothesizes that how an individual joins and keeps up wellbeing behaviors is affected by a person's environment cognition and enthusiasm.Theory-based programs can potentially target essential variables that affect well-being behaviors (Berlin et al., 2013).Gardeners themselves concur with these findings.Among the 317 individuals who took part in table-top gardening sessions organized by Thrive in Berkshire, Hampshire, and south Oxfordshire, 80 percent reported experiencing improved mental health, while 93 percent indicated enhanced confidence and motivation.Across the Atlantic in Philadelphia, 144 gardeners were surveyed about their motivations, and mental health emerged as the second most important reason, following recreation, for their engagement in gardening.(Blair et al., 1991).
Deciding the genuine impact of planting on well-being is troublesome.Well-designed mediations require different destinations (schools or communities) to actualize gardens and randomize those destinations.Moreover, "real-world" conditions may make it difficult to execute programs as planned.Numerous of the mediations have centered on single communities or populace.

Objective of the Study
The study aimed to identify the influence of plant parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of the AB Psychology students at the University of Cebu -Main, SY 2020-2021.It also explored the participants, experiences, and challenges during the Pandemic and how plant parenting influenced their coping with the challenges met.

Methodology
This section explains how the researchers gathered, investigated, and deduced data.Purposely, this discussed the researcher design, research locale, research instrument, data gathering procedure, and the study's data analysis.

Research Design
The study uses qualitative research and emphasizes the phenomenological approach since it aims to gather in-depth insights and lived experiences of students involved in and practicing plant parenting.This study uses thematic analysis, focusing on finding themes from the answers to interview questions.

Research Environment
This study is administered at the University of Cebu-Main Campus, Sanciangko Street, Cebu City, Philippines 6000.The University of Cebu, formerly known as Cebu Central College, was founded in 1964 by Atty.Augusto W. Go.
This study was conducted in one of the departments of the University of Cebu-Main, the College of Arts and Sciences, on the 2nd floor of the Don Manuel Gotianoy Building.The department offers four programs: Bachelor of Arts in English Language, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and Bachelor of Arts in Social Work.The College of Liberal Arts promotes hands-on, minds-on, real-world learning with cooperative internships, practicums, and research participation.

Research Respondents
AB Psychology students from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Cebu participated in this study.After data saturation was obtained, the researcher identified sixteen ( 16) AB Psychology students to participate in the study.These participants practice plant parenting during the Pandemic and are currently enrolled at the University of Cebu -Main Campus for the school year 2021 -2022.

Research Instrument
The semi-structured guide interview questionnaire with open-ended questions used in this study was approved and validated by three experts in the field of psychology.The question is about how the participants benefited by being plant parents and how it affected their overall well-being during the Pandemic.

Research Procedure
This section will present the data collection and data analysis.

Data Collection
The researcher has submitted a letter to the College of Arts and Sciences asking permission to conduct the study in the department.As soon as the approval was granted, the researchers identified the students who were qualified as participants.
Moreover, each identified participant was given a Google Meet link and asked their permission to record the entire interview session.The interviewer used a semi-structured questionnaire containing open-ended questions.Once the interview was done, the researchers thanked the participants for participating and reassured them that the recorded session and data collected were solely used for research purposes.The whole interview was done virtually due to the DOH health protocol during the pandemic.

Data Analysis
When all of the information from the participants has been gathered, the researcher has identified and used thematic analysis based on the participants' answers that assemble common answers or common themes.The researcher also provided the participants' untranslated answers and an English-translated version of their answers.The researchers made a few notes on critical and applicable data concerning the study, summarizing them for coding; after this, the researcher reviewed the participants' answers to ensure the data's precision.It is likewise to ensure a complete expertise of the findings.

Results and Discussion
The success of this qualitative study depends on a thorough understanding of the transcribed responses.Read the transcripts thoroughly for each primary participant's transcribed responses to understand the overall coverage.From the transcripts of the interviews and questionnaires, the significant statement was extracted, documented, and encoded using Microsoft Word.The significant statements were properly encoded for effective tracing with their designed number of responses and participant number.There were 208 critical statements (please see Appendix F for the Coded Significant Statements) that represented AB Psychology students' experiences of Plant Parenting and its influence on their well-being across all year levels.
The researcher constructed meanings for the 208 critical statements retrieved from the transcripts.There were 208 coded formed meanings that explained the participant's experiences clearly.
The formulated basic meanings were grouped because they shared similar patterns of concepts and structure.Cluster themes were created from these common clusters of formulated meanings.There were 29 cluster themes developed.The cluster themes were then improved and re-grouped into sub-themes, merging two or more cluster themes.The merging of cluster themes resulted in 22 sub-themes.Finally, the 22 sub-themes were clustered to form the significant themes known as emergent themes.13 emergent themes represented the overarching themes that provide meaning to the study's three (3) sub-problems.
After a generation with thorough and time-consuming formation of core meaning using the thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke (2006), twenty-nine (29) cluster themes were generated and reorganized into 22 sub-themes, which were further separated into thirteen (12) significant themes known as emergent themes.The emergent themes were categorized into three (3) main points that provide meaning to the study's sub-problems.The following are the overall themes with emergent themes: The themes were created to describe and explain the study's answers to the questions.Each of the three (3) primary themes with different emergent themes is discussed here.

I. The Experience of the Participants during the Pandemic
The themes constructed with main themes described the participants' experiences as they face and adapt to the Pandemic's changes.
The following are the four (4) themes developed to describe the responses of the study's key participants to sub-problem number 1: 1. Lack of social interaction.The theme describes the lack of social/physical interaction as one of the participants' experiences during the Pandemic.
Participant 15 was asked about her experiences during the Pandemic, and she answered: The Pandemic has greatly affected the wellbeing of people especially in the social aspect, as it restricted physical interact ion due to mandated quarantine which restrained people from going out.
2. Negative Physical Effect.This theme is obtained from the responses of the participants describing their experiences during quarantine which resulted to affect their behavior, negatively due to less connection with other people aside from their family and boredom: Participant 3 said: During the Pandemic is not easy, Kuya.Like uhmm basically…we cannot go outside and the worst part Kuya, we cannot meet our friends, and because of that I experience boredom and sluggishness (IDI 3 -1 SS26).
(During the Pandemic, it was not easy, we could not go outside, and the worst part was we could not meet our friends; because of that, I experienced boredom and sluggishness).
Participant 10 added about when she felt bored it affected her greatly: Ahmmm first of all the challenges with regards to mental health because there are times wherein I can't sleep thinking about a lot of stuff because, because of the boredom that I am feeling so those hmm challenges is somehow ahhm I can say deep because it, it ahmm it talks about my mental health and it is for me the most important part of my life (IDI 10-5 SS122).(First of all the challenges with regards to mental health because there are times wherein I can't sleep thinking about a lot of stuff because, because of the boredom that I am feeling so those challenges are somehow I can say deep because it, it talks about my mental health and it is for me the most important part of my life.) The theme was obtained from the participants' responses about how the Pandemic greatly affected their wellbeing based on the experiences they have faced.
3. Spending time with their family.This theme describes how the participants realized that this Pandemic is not just about the negative sides but also shed light, on the positive side of their experiences, and helped them build a more solid foundation as a family.
When participants 1 was asked about her experiences during the Pandemic she said: Uhmmm uhhh uhh obviously Stress on modules, less outing, kinda boring sometimes but I get to have the chance to be with my grandparents every day which is different back when there were face-to-face classes (IDI 1-6 SS6).(Stress on modules, fewer outings, kind of boring sometimes but I get to have the chance to be with my grandparents every day which is different back when there were face-to-face classes.) Participant 2 also said: Since the Pandemic began uhmm kuya, I mean Sir, my bond with my family got stronger as because hehehe we were able to connect every day.Somehow, I also experienced some introspecting moments (IDI 2 -1 SS14).
(My bond with my family got stronger because we were able to connect every day.Somehow, I also experience some introspecting moments.) Participant 6 said: In terms of Family miss, I have a huge family, and I have cousins, and we bond a lot.And uhm, in terms of barangay, like uhm, we have so many activities, like we give porridge to the kids, like that, like we are finding some ways that can help other people (IDI 6-9 SS74).(In terms of Family and together with our extended family we bond a lot.And in terms of barangay, we have so many activities, like giving porridge to the kids and we are finding some ways that can help other people.)This theme obtained the responses of the participants in which despite the negative effects the Pandemic has brought, at least it made them reconnect with their families and helped them cope with stressful situations they are in.
4. Influencers of Home Gardening.This theme describes how the participants know about gardening, and who influenced them, the reason, or the motivation to engage in this kind of activity.
When the researchers interviewed participant 1 about who influenced her about plant-parenting, she replied: Uhm haha to be completely honest, from my neighborhood (IDI 1-10 SS10).(From my neighborhood).
Participant 14 also said: While others are influenced by their family peers and neighborhood, Participant 15 is influenced by social media trends, she said: First of all, since it was a trend at that time in social media and you also wanted to join in because you were bored so started to collect plants.We have had plants since then, but we were not able to give them much importance because ahmm because of work.We're not always at home.We didn't have much time to stay at home so when the Pandemic came, we got bored at home.We started to have time to plant especially when we learned that these kinds of plants (found at home) are expensive in the market.It's where we started to become a plantation and a plantita.So, it was we started to take care of our plants because in the highest level because they can be sold, and it can also become an additional income during this Pandemic (IDI 15-9 SS 9).
(First of all, since it was a trend at that time in social media and you also wanted to join in because you were bored so started to collect plants.We have had plants since then, but we were not able to give them much importance because of work.We're not always at home.We didn't have much time to stay at home so when the Pandemic came, we got bored at home.We started to have time to plant especially when we learned that these kinds of plants (found at home) are expensive in the market.It's where we started to become a plantito and a plantita.So, it was we started to take care of our plants because at the highest level, they can be sold, and they can also become an additional income during this Pandemic.) The theme illustrates the responses of the participants to who influenced them to be plant parents during these trying times, the Pandemic.

II. The Challenges of the participants' wellbeing during the Pandemic.
This overall theme has four (4) emergent themes that describe the key participants' challenges that affected their wellbeing during the Pandemic.These four (4) emergent themes characterized the participants' challenges with this study's sub-problem number 2.
1. Emerging Family Issues.This theme describes how participants faced one of the challenges they had encountered during the Pandemic.
During the one-on-one interview Participant 3, was asked what was the most challenging Experience that highly affected your wellbeing.answered: Talking about wellbeing, the most challenging was about our family issue (IDI 3 -7 SS32).(The most challenging was about facing different family issues.)Furthermore, Participants (15) were asked in a one-on-one interview the same question on the most challenging Experience that highly affected their wellbeing, and replied: For me, the challenging part of facing the Experience like the family is torn apart and struggling financially and emotionally.Your mental health was tested this time of the Pandemic (IDI 15-3 SS 3).(For me, the challenging part of facing the Experience like the family being turned apart and struggling financially and emotionally.Your mental health was tested this time of the Pandemic.) 1.The emerging issues' emotional state.This theme describes participants' challenges during the Pandemic that affected their mental state.3. On a maintaining healthy lifestyle.This theme describes how the participants stress about how they should stay fit during the Pandemic, both mentally and physically.During in one-on-one interview Participant 11 was asked to elaborate on the challenges that she faced that affected her wellbeing, answered: During the rise of the pandemic Kuya, the challenges that I faced were hard, it's like finding ways to maintain being healthy and to cope with day-to-day living given that we have unseen enemies (IDI 11-6 SS136).(During the rise of the Pandemic, the challenges that I have faced were really hard, it's like finding ways to maintain being healthy and how to cope with day-to-day living given that we have unseen enemies.) In addition, Participant 16 described her wellbeing during the Pandemic, saying: For me, it's difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle when we are in the middle of a crisis like where we are right now, right?For me, it is really difficult especially when we worry about our finances.Because you cannot control not to think about it like our lifestyle and our health.And the uncertainty of our future (IDI .(For me it is really difficult especially when we are in the middle of a crisis like where we are right now, right?For me, it was really difficult especially when we worry about our finances.Because you cannot control not to think about it like our lifestyle and our health.And the uncertainty of our future.) Participant 11 in a one-on-one interview, also said: During the rise of the pandemic Kuya, the challenges that I faced were hard, it's like finding ways to maintain being healthy and cope with day-to-day living given that we have an unseen enemy .(During the rise of the Pandemic, the challenges that I faced were hard, and it's like finding ways to maintain being healthy and how to cope with day-to-day living, given that we have an unseen enemy.
4. On the academic performance.This theme describes how the participants experienced difficulty during the Pandemic that affected their academic performances.
When the researcher interviewed Participant 1, about the most challenging Experience that highly affected her wellbeing, replied: The only thing that I thought that affected me so much was uhmm, I think, adjusting from modular classes.It is tough to understand lectures when there are no teachers and I graduated with not enough knowledge (IDI 1-7 SS7).(The only thing that I thought affected me so much was adjusting to modular classes.It is tough to understand lectures when there are no teachers, and I only relied on our unstable internet, which resulted in poor academic performance and graduated with insufficient knowledge).
During a one-on-one interview Participant 5, asked the same question and said: I think it is yes, truly because my part I am currently here in Masbate, and the powerful energy current and signal are very unstable, hmm it is very stressful for me why it should be an online setting, especially if we're having orals" (IDI 5-2 SS54).(I think it is yes, truly because in my part I am currently here in Masbate, and the power energy current and signal are very unstable, and it is very stressful for me why it should be an online setting, especially if we are having orals).
Participant 6 in a one-on-one interview, when asked to elaborate on how it affected her, said: As the online class started last year, and my classmate (IDI -5) didn't really attend, because it was too much for us, the financial crisis plagued us, there's no internet connection, and there's a possibility I can't attend the because the signal is unstable.And until now, we are striving to have a WiFi connection in our house, so it won't be troublesome on our part as a student.We have already many problems as a student and this setting will be another headache because of wasting money in paying for the load.It is really hard (IDI 6-2 SS67).(It was too much for us, the financial crisis plagued us, there's no internet connection, and there's a possibility I can't attend my classes because the signal is very unstable.And until now, we are still waiting to have a WiFi connection in our house, so it won't be troublesome in our part as a student.We have already many problems as a student and this setting will be another headache because of wasting money in paying for the load)

III. Plant parenting on influencing the participants in coping with the challenges met?
This overall theme describes the study's sub-problem, How did plant parenting influence the participants in coping with the challenges met in times of Pandemic?
From the responses of the key participants, there are five (5) compelling themes that were generated.The five (5) compelling themes are as follows: 1. Gardening as a coping mechanism.This theme describes the benefits of gardening in coping with stress during lockdown.
During the one-on-one interview of Participant 4, asked how did she able to cope with her experiences in her school works during a pandemic, answered: Uhmm It made me responsible enough to take care of another thing or uh hehe being other than myself (IDI 4-13 SS51).(It made me responsible enough to take care of another thing or uh hehe being other than myself po).

Ahmm motivates ah the fact that ah mostly everyone is doing it. And based on my research, plants help in uplifting mood, and it is proven by how I see it with those plants in my neighborhood. It really uplifts me like I wanted to steal that one hahaha (IDI 14-11 SS 11). (Motivates the fact that almost everyone is doing it. And based on my research, plants help in uplifting mood, and it is proven by how I see it with those plants in my neighborhood. It really uplifts me.)
First of all, since it was a trend at that time in social media and you also wanted to join in because you were bored so that started to collect plants.We really have plants since then, but we were not able to give them much importance because ahmm because of work.We're not always at home.We didn't have much time to stay at home so when the Pandemic came, we got bored at home.We started have time to plant especially when we learned that these kinds of plants (found at home) are expensive in the market.It's where we started to become a plantito and a plantita.So, it was we started to take care of our plants because in the highest level because they can be sold and can also become an additional income during this Pandemic (IDI .(First of all, since it was a trend at that time in social media and you also wanted to join in because you were bored so started to collect plants.We really have had plants since then, but we were not able to give them much importance because of work.We're not always at home.We didn't have much time to stay at home so when the Pandemic came, we got bored at home.We started to have time to plant especially when we learned that these kinds of plants (found at home) are expensive in the market.It's where we started to become a plantito and a plantita.So, it was we started to take care of our plants because in the highest level because they can be sold and can also become an additional income during this Pandemic.) Participant 15 also answered her way of coping up with stress: Well, it ahmm it seems like my mental health is doing good because of the plants and of the excitement they gives me.Ahhh I was able to enjoy it, and we don't only plant flowering plants we also plant vegetables.So, hmm we were able to harvest vegetables in our garden.And it helps us with our finances because when you have vegetable plants you don't need to buy.It also helps our mental health and it becomes an additional routine to the people (IDI .(Well, it seems like my mental health is doing good because of the plants and of the excitement they gives me.I was able to enjoy it, and we don't only plant flowering plants we also plant vegetables.So, we were able to harvest vegetables in our garden.And it helps us with our finances because when you have vegetable plants you don't need to buy.It also helps our mental health and it becomes an additional routine for the people.) According to the responses, researchers can articulate how participants were able to cope with stress with the help of planting or plant parenting.
2. Impact of Awareness.This theme describes how the participants became sensitive while doing gardening.
During in one-on-one interview Participant 2, asked how indoor gardening helped her cope with the challenges she has experienced, answered: Indoor gardening helped me to become uhmm, sensitive I think, and to just take my time in dealing with problems (IDI 2 -12 SS25).(Indoor gardening helped me to become sensitive and to just take my time in dealing with problems).
The theme obtained from the participant's response demonstrated her overall wellbeing.
3. Character development.This theme describes the effects of plant parenting on the participant's character.
When the researcher interviewed Participant 4, and asked about how plant parenting helped her overall wellbeing, replied: Uhmm It made me responsible enough to take care of another thing or uh hehe being other than myself po (IDI 4-13 SS52).(It made me responsible enough to take care of another thing or being other than myself po).
This emergent theme, as described by particicpant's response, implies that the participant that planting made her responsible.
4. Improvement of wellbeing.This theme describes how the plants help the participant's wellbeing during a pandemic.
During the one-on-one interview of Participant 3, asked how she was able to cope with her experiences in her schoolwork during a pandemic, answered: It has changed my views on taking care of something.And uhh There are no shortcuts and it takes time and effort, just like my wellbeing.It's the things that I do every day that shape it, not the things that I do in one day kuya (IDI 3 -13 SS38).(It has changed my views of taking care of something.There are no shortcuts and it takes time and effort, just like my wellbeing.It's the things that I do every day that shape it, not the things that I do in one day).
In addition, participant 5 in a one-on-one interview, when asked the same question, said: For me, it's like umm it is very helpful, because I am mentally unstable, because with all that has happened for the past two years, like it I feel it is too much like as in, let's add up our situation right now, so as I started helping to plant, I feel that my mental health I becoming stable because if not, oh my goodness I think I can commit suicide (IDI 5-13 SS65).(It is very helpful because I am mentally unstable because, with because, with for the past two years, it feels too much and let's add up our situation right now.So, as I started helping to plant, I felt that my mental health was becoming stable because if not, I might commit suicide).
During the one-on-one interview of participant 6, asked about her experiences during the Pandemic, answered: For me, it made me realize that people are like plants they symbolizes life, because whatever happens in their surroundings like they always find a way to live, whatever problems are faced they always stands up and continue to live (IDI 6-13 SS78).(It made me realize that people are like plants they symbolizes life, because whatever happens in their surroundings it always find a way to live, whatever problems being faced they always stand up and continue to live).
The themes describe the responses on how the online class has affected them individually and how plants became their savior.
Participant 11 and 12 replied respectively: Uh My wellbeing kuya during the Pandemic is not at its finest (IDI 11-5 SS135).(My wellbeing during the Pandemic is not at its finest).
It is not good, to be honest, especially my physical and mental health; however, it became at ease, and thank God, I found peace when I started to buy and do planting (IDI 12-5 SS148).(It is not good, to be honest, especially for my physical and mental health; however, it became at ease, and thank God, I found peace when I started to buy and do planting).
As described by participant responses, this emergent theme implies that it made them somewhat stable in terms of mental stability.

Analysis of Data
According to Fraenkel & Wallen (2003), qualitative research provides an understanding of a situation or phenomenon rather than determining cause and effect.Baxter and Jack (2008) said that, qualitative study is a research instrument that aids in investigating a phenomenon in a particular setting using various data sources-qualitative analysis and discussion based on semi-structured interviews on the themes of selected motivational roles and strategies.
Braun and Clarke used thematic analysis to extract and analyze the qualitative, relevant data from the participants' responses (2006).The information was gathered, coded, segmented, clustered, categorized, and summarized so that the data set's main concepts were captured.The process included extracting 208 important statements and 208 formulated meanings from the participants' transcribed responses.The solution then involves grouping formulated meanings into 29 cluster themes, which are then subdivided into 22 sub-themes.After that, the sub-themes were classified and organized into 13 main or emergent themes.Themes were developed to explain the participants' perspectives directly.Plant-Parenting: Its Influence on the well-being of the college students.
This phenomenological approach gathers in-depth insights and lived experiences of college students, specifically AB-Psychology, who are involved and practicing plant-parenting during the Pandemic.Stress Recovery Theory by van den Berg and Custers explains to the participants that being exposed to nature could enhance and develop their well-being.).Growing plants is an excellent stress reliever, as seeing the garden thrive can be very rewarding.That explains why many people have begun gardening to cope with home quarantine (Mendoza, 2020).With scientific reasons to support it, gardening benefits one's mental health and welfare, from reducing stress to boosting the immune system (Lagdamen, 2020).
This study was also supported by Attention Restoration Theory or ART by Kaplan 1995.ART proposes that an individual's exposure to nature can help improve attention, focus, and concentration (Ohly et al., 2016).The theory was developed during the 1980s and early 1990s when rapid technological development was increasing, and as a result, more families spent more time inside their houses.
Today, as the Pandemic forces billions of people locked in their houses due to the coronavirus scare, it is now limited to spending time with nature.A year after the Pandemic started, more and more stressed individuals are trying to cope with the Pandemic.
People are now in need of exposure to nature.Thus, they buy plants to relieve themselves.In support of the Attention Restoration Theory, indoor gardening or natural environment helps an individual to replenish and recover brain functions (Kaplan, 1995).
The participants in this study play a critical role in sharing their experiences and challenges during the Pandemic, how they cope with it, and how plant-parenting has a role in developing and enhancing their well-being amidst crises.Theorists made interesting suggestions regarding methodologies as research on motivation moves forward.
With the onset of the Pandemic, this subject has increased its attention to the public since people are now locked in their houses and have limited time access to nature.A year after the Pandemic started, more and more stressed individuals are trying to cope with the Pandemic.People are now in need of exposure to nature.Thus, they buy plants to relieve themselves.
Other theories and related studies were also cited to support the findings of this study.The emergent themes derived from the participants' responses based on the study's sub-problems are shown.

I. Experiences of the Participants during the Pandemic.
Four (4) emergent themes under this overarching theme describe the responses of the key participants on the descriptions of Plant-parenting and Its influence on the well-being of all year-level AB Psychology students.

Lack of social interaction
This theme describes how difficult the participants' experiences were during the Pandemic.Moreover, how it affects the well-being of the participants as they battle against this Experience in this major crisis.This study is also supported by the Schachter-Singer theory, the two-factor theory of emotion by Stanley Schachter and Jerome Singer.This theory explains that an emotion results from physiological arousal and cognition interaction.Concerning this theme, most of the participants are likely affected by this Experience, which is lacking social/physical interaction, resulting in others being isolated, doing something unconsciously, or feeling tired.Like the theory, the negative emotions the participants felt were due to the Experience of less interaction aside from their family and, at the same time, thinking about the crisis.

Changes of Behavior
This theme describes the participants' experiences during quarantine, which negatively affected their behavior and physical body due to less connection with other people besides their family and boredom.This study is supported by the theory of Cannon-Bard, known as the thalamic theory of emotion, developed by Walter Cannon and Philip Bard.This theory explains that stimulating events trigger feelings and emotional reactions that occur at the same time.In connection with this theme, based on the participants' experiences in a total lockdown, it affected their well-being activities and adverse physical effects, specifically being sluggish.So, like the theory, our stimulating event in this theme is the mandated quarantine, and simply, it triggers negative thinking and physical reactions, which is laziness and vice versa.

Spending Time with their family
This theme describes how the participants realized that this Pandemic was not just about the opposing sides but also shed light on the positive side of their experiences and helped them cope with the stressful event.
This study is supported by the Supportive Environment Theory developed by Grahn.This theory explains that people need supportive environments to develop physically and mentally.The participants' experiences have stressed them out in connection with this theme.Their supportive environment helps them lessen and cope with the situation that threatens their well-being.Aside from their hobbies, family time is their supporting context.

Home Gardening
This theme describes how the participants know about gardening, who influenced them, and the reason or motivation for engaging in this activity.This study is supported by the Social Cognitive Theory by Bandura.This theory explains how individual knowledge can be acquired through observing others through social interactions, experiences, and media influences.To connect this theory to this theme, based on the participant's responses, they had acquired knowledge of home gardening by observing it from their surroundings, firsthand experiences, and social media trends.

II. Benefits Gained from Motivation and Strategies 1. Emerging Family Issue
This theme explains how different issues about family emerged during the Pandemic.It was also one of the most challenging experiences the participants encountered.This study was also supported by the Social Cognitive Theory of Bandura (1997).
The theory explains that parents or other older family peers will eventually pass their behavior to the younger ones by observing.
In connection to this theme, the emerging family issue and their reaction affects participants during the Pandemic.Given that Family Issues are one of the most challenging issues during the Pandemic, as the participants claimed.The uncertainty brought by the Pandemic affected almost all aspects of the family, resulting in stress for the participants and reflected in their actions.

Emerging Issues of Emotional State
This theme describes the participants' issues that affected their emotional state, such as overthinking, stress, isolation, and possible depression.Cannon-Bard theory by Walter and Philip Bard also suggests that physiological responses can produce diverse emotions.For instance, experiencing a racing heart and sweating palms during a vital exam will probably identify the emotion as anxiety.In connection to the theme, emerging issues in mental stability affected the participants physically.The effects of overthinking that they experienced resulted in a racing heart rate and difficulty breathing.Stress is also one of the mental issues that the participants felt resulted in over-fatigue and affected concentration.

On maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
This theme explains how participants stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle because they wanted to eliminate negative emotions they felt during the Pandemic but could not fulfill due to the limited space and restrictions.Another theory associated with this study is the Theory of Cognitive Appraisal by Richard Lazarus (1984), which proposes that when a particular situation occurs, it involves the stimulus, followed by the thoughts, which leads to the synchronized Experience of the physiological and emotional response.In connection to the theme, by experiencing negative thoughts with adverse outcomes, the participants stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which the participants believed at least lessened what they felt during the quarantine, which added pressure to the participants.

On the Academic Performance
This theme explains that the participants suffered poor academic performance, given limited resources and uncontrollable circumstances.Cannon-Bard's theory proposes that emotions take place when the thalamus transmits a message to the brain in response to a stimulus, resulting in a concurrent physiological reaction.Simultaneously, the brain receives signals that generate the emotional experience.Given the limited resources and uncontrollable circumstances, which are the stimuli, the participants experienced psychological reactions when the internet connections were suddenly lost during an online exam or presentation, which resulted in panic, which is a potential reason for the poor academic performance that the participants experienced.

III. Plant parenting influences the participants' ways of coping with the challenges met. 1. Gardening as a coping mechanism
This theme describes the effects of gardening in coping with stress during lockdown.This study is anchored on the Stress Recovery Theory by van den Berg and Custers (2011), which states that the benefits when an individual is exposed to nature could be decreased anxiety, lower heart rates, skin conductance recovery, lower concentrates of cortisol, and positive changes in nerve activity.According to the theme, the participant believes gardening helped them overcome stress, as the Stress Recovery theory stated.The participants claimed that it helped them feel relaxed amidst the effects of the Pandemic.It is also anchored on the Attention Restoration Theory or ART by Kaplan 1995.ART proposes that individual exposure to nature can help improve attention, focus, and concentration (Ohly et al., 2016).Restoration is also a widely known topic in environmental psychology.It explains the dynamic connection between man and the environment or surroundings.It is also included when an individual is exposed to nature.It can help restore attention, energy, and well-being while experiencing nature.

Impact of Awareness
This theme describes how the participant became sensitive to her surroundings while gardening.Another theory relevant to this study is the Psycho-evolutionary Theory, which emphasizes a rapid physiological and emotion-driven process of recovering from stress-related symptoms.Ulrich (1993Ulrich ( , 1999) ) argued that "humans have an inherent inclination to affiliate with nature.
He contends that specific natural environments played a vital role in human survival for the majority of our evolutionary history.He further suggests that the stress-reducing benefits of nature are attributed to unconscious processes and impacts situated within the most ancient, emotion-driven regions of the brain.It shows that people who spend time cultivating plants have less stress than those who do not.In connection with the theme, with the help of indoor gardening, they became sensitive to their surroundings given the attention they gave to gardening.They were able to reflect and think of possible solutions to their problems.

Character Development
This theme describes the effects of plant parenting on the participant's character.An additional theory applicable to this study is the Psycho-evolutionary Theory, which underscores a rapid physiological and emotion-driven mechanism for recovering from stress-related symptoms.Furthermore, Ulrich (1993Ulrich ( , 1999) ) argued that "humans have an inherent inclination to affiliate with nature.He claims that plants have a calming effect on human beings and offer a constructive outlet for individuals to redirect their stress towards nurturing activities.(McFarland, 2010)."According to Mendoza, "Growing plants reduces stress.It helps with depression and anxiety by giving a task to focus on amidst the challenges.It also places one in a positive mindset -seeing living things grow and thrive.Breathing in the fresh air from the plants in the garden and touching the warm soil can even boost serotonin levels and reduce anxiety.In connection with the theme, gardening made them responsible and able to be the better version of themselves by building a habit of taking care of the plants that their personality adopts the importance of taking care of something.In other words, the stress they experienced during the Pandemic gave the participants the opportunity to divert themselves to plant parenting that improved or nurtured their personalities.

Improvement of Well-being
This theme describes how the plants help the participant's well-being during a pandemic.In connection with the theme, plants helped them in their overall well-being.It made them stable, especially in terms of their mental stability.

Conclusion
The study aimed to identify the influence of plant parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic on one's well-being.It focused on the participants' experiences, challenges during the pandemic, and how gardening helped them cope.Among the findings were participants experienced a lack of social interaction, adverse effects of being restricted from physical activities, several family issues, and emerging mental problems that resulted in poor academic performance but also experienced some positive effects of quarantine by spending more time with their loved ones and building new hobbies like plant parenting as their coping mechanism.It was shown that participants responded to plant parenting as their way to combat the constraints brought by the pandemic on them and the whole family.The importance of plant-parenting resulted in five (5) coping mechanisms: Enhancing Self-Care, Impact of Awareness, Character development, and Improvement of Wellbeing.To conclude, the plant-parenting helped the participant's overall well-being during the Pandemic.
On the other hand, limited to short-term focus could be constraints of the study.It focused on the immediate impact of plant parenting during the pandemic but may need to capture the long-term effects or sustainability of this coping mechanism.It is essential to consider whether these benefits persist beyond the pandemic.Also, the study primarily focuses on the positive aspects of plant parenting and its impact on well-being.Exploring potential challenges or negative experiences associated with this activity was not part of considering the pandemic's health protocol.Research topics like the long-term effect of gardening on the gardener's mental health and the possible adverse effects of gardening on family relationships, physical constraints, and others are suggested for further study.

When participant 11
asked, what was her experiences during the Pandemic, answered: ah ok, (hahahah) actually hmm, my experiences during the Pandemic hmm were not so good.I have been thinking, what do you call that, ah, negative thoughts most of the time, especially overthinking (IDI 11-1 SS130).(My experiences during the Pandemic were not so good.I have been thinking negative thoughts most of the time, especially overthinking.) Astell-Burt et al., 2013; Beyer et al., 2014; Brown et al., 2013; de Vries et al., 2013; Fan et al., 2011; Nutsford et al., 2013; Stigsdotter, 2015; Triguero-Mas et al., 2015; White et al., 2013

Plant parenting influences the participants' ways of coping with the challenges met.
(So, it is tough to maintain healthy wellbeing because, for example, you are always at home, and you cannot socialize with other people.Then in the Pandemic, we tend to think a lot, and anxiety will butt in.And other people get depressed due to our thinking.)Ihavethree challenges that affect my uhmm wellbeing.First, Social interaction, I love being with people then suddenly it was cut by that damn.Pandemic.Second, Body insecurities tsk!I gained weight Javes, and it was really hard because I find myself super bad and insecure 3. Anxiety for my family especially my parents are seniors and still they do the work and that sucks!Do you know what I mean (IDI 12-6 SS149)?! (I have three challenges that affect my wellbeing.First, Social interaction, I love being with people then suddenly it was cut by the Pandemic.Second, Body insecurities, I gained weight Javes, and it was really hard because I find myself super bad and insecure 3. Anxiety for my family especially my parents are seniors and still they do the work and that sucks!) it is very difficult to maintain healthy wellbeing because, for example, you are always at home and you cannot socialize with other people, and then in the Pandemic, you tend to think a lot, and anxiety will butt in.And other people got depressed due to over our thinking.(The most challenging part was facing those experiences it was like having the feeling that I might be doing my life in the wrong way because it felt like hmm I haven't talked to my friends and I don't go to social media might be doing my life in the wrong way because it felt like hmm I haven't really talked to my friends and I don't go to social media that much anymore).Participant 12 added: Uhh uhmmm, I feel that uhhh like the reason why our family bond is stronger it's kinda like it adds up to the reason I want to live, I feel motivated, like aww like I am motivated because of the relationship of our fam, I am motivated to go on with my life (IDI 7-6 SS84).(Thereason why our family bond is stronger because it adds up to the reason I want to live.I feel motivated, I am motivated to go on with my life).The most challenging part javes is staying motivated for me, it is because not all times you feel like uhmm you're doing something.Thus, social interaction is affected (IDI 12-3 SS146).(The most challenging part was staying motivated for me it is because not all times you feel like you're doing something.Thus, social interaction is affected).(The Pandemic made me happy because it made my family intact.I spend time with my family during the coronavirus and share happy moments.Then, I had a lot of experiences, especially when the planting trends, and I went with my mom to get plants and bought them because it was a trend.We had a collection of plants.The negative impact it's difficult for us to adjust because we can't go to other places.If we go to other places, it's not easy like you want to visit your loved ones in far places because it would be very hard due to strict rules like you have to get swabbed and, quarantine and there are lots of documents to be processed for you to comply with the requirements.Another negative impact is you cannot concentrate especially when you are under home quarantine, and it will lead you to overthink negative things like you have problems and you keep on overthink every night.) And Participant 16 said:Ah for me during the Pandemic ahmmm it makes me happy because it made my family exact.During the coronavirus, I got to spend time with my family and share with ahhh happy moments.Then, I had a lot of experiences especially when the planting trends, and I went with my mom to get plants, buy, because it was a trend, we had a collection of plants.The negative impacts ahhmm it's difficult as we adjusted because we can't go to other places.If we go to other places ahhh it's not easy like you want to visit your loved ones in far places because it would be very hard due to strict rules like you have to get swabbed and ahhh quarantined and there are lots of documents to be processed ahhhmmm for you to ahhh comply with the requirements.And another negative impact, ahhmmm ahhh you cannot concentrate especially when you are under home quarantine, and it will lead you to overthink negative things like you have problems and you keep on thinking every night and then sometimes ahhh...... Ahhh sometimes ahh yeah that's it (IDI 16-1 SS 1).
And then, it was timing that I haven't opened it up yet and she told me to bring these, and that.Her house is full of plants (. (So far, we have neighbors who have plenty of plants.Every time I go out of the house, I see many plants, and I can tell how nice it is to have this kind of ambiance at home, especially during this Pandemic.I wanted to have plants in our home as well.So, I remembered my aunt in Hinatilan, and she has a lot of plants.I decided to plant as my way to cope with boredom.And then, it was timing that I haven't opened it up yet and she told me to bring these, and that.Her house is full of plants.)Throughmymother misses, uhmm she is fond of it and as I always watch her doing gardening, it serves as her stress reliever for her children, and uhm like with that I engaged in it because I am also inspired because of her.But sometimes they will die but my mother always finds a way, and it made me uhmmm happy.Uhmm like that's all (IDI 6-10 SS75).(My mother, is fond of it and I always watch her doing gardening.It serves as her stress reliever for her children, and I always watch her do gardening.It serves as her stress reliever from her children, and with that, I engaged in it because I am also inspired because of her.But sometimes they will die but my mother always finds a way, and it made me happy).
So far, we have neighbors who have plenty of plants every time I see plants.I can tell hownice it is.The ambiance and I wanted to have plants in our home as well.So, I remembered my aunt in Hinatilan has a lot of plants.
The primary theory applied in this research was the Stress Recovery Theory by van den Berg and Custers (2011), which states the benefits when an individual exposed to nature, decreased anxiety, lower heart rates, skin conductance recovery, lower concentrates of cortisol, and positive changes in nerve activity(Alvarsson et al., 2010; Bowler et al., 2010; Park et al., 2010; Park et al., 2017;  Russell et al., 2013).It is also reported that the effects of viewing images of nature are exceptional (Ryan et al., 2014), and the positive relationships between man and indoor gardening give overall health and stress reduction (deVries et al., 2003).In addition, Furthermore, according to Berto (2014), being exposed to natural environments can mitigate the adverse impacts of stress, allowing individuals to recover more quickly from the decline in cognitive performance often associated with stress, particularly in tasks related to attention.Living in urban areas with green spaces is a significant predictor of stress(Thompson et  al., 2016)and can lower mental distress and higher well-being (White et al.(2013).In Journal of Health Psychology, gardening is a more effective stress reduction method compared to reading a book.Meanwhile, the Journal of Public Health reported that gardening for as little as 30 minutes improved mood and increased selfesteem.Gardening holds immense potential for individuals with specific mental health requirements, providing a vast array of activities and options that surpass those available in any other therapeutic pursuit.They call this process Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH).STH and similar green care interventions can (1) Reduce depression, anxiety, and stress-related symptoms; (2) Alleviate the symptoms of dementia, such as aggressive behavior; (3) Increase the ability to concentrate and engage; (4) Reduce reliance on medication, self-harming behavior; (5) Helps people who are recovering from surgeries and other medical treatments; (6) Improves social interaction; (7) Improves different mental skills such as memory, alertness, and cognition; (8) Helps people overcome their difficulties with drug and alcohol(Schmutzs et al., 2014 This study is anchored on the Stress Recovery Theory byvanden Berg and Custers (2011), which states the benefits when an individual is exposed to nature: decreased anxiety, lower heart rates, skin conductance recovery, lower concentrates of cortisol, and positive changes in nerve activity (Alvarsson et al., 2010; Bowler et al., 2010; Park et al., 2010; Park et al., 2017; Russell et al., 2013).It is also reported that the effects of viewing images of nature are exceptional (Ryan et al., 2014), and the positive relationships between man and indoor gardening give overall health and stress reduction (de Vries et al., 2003).In addition, Berto 2014, states that Exposure to natural scenes mediates the adverse effects of stress; one can recover faster from the decrease in cognitive performance associated with stress, mainly reflected in attention tasks.Living in urban areas with green spaces is a significant predictor of stress (Thompson et al., 2016) and can lower mental distress and higher well-being (White et al. (2013).