How flower arranging helped a chronic anxiety sufferer and how she helps others de-stress by holding free flower art therapy workshops in Hong Kong

Simran Mohinani was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder aged 13. She found flower art therapy boosted her mental health and helped her feel happy

She offers free workshops to show others its benefits, using ‘infinity roses’ – fresh blooms treated with wax – which last up to three years

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Simran Mohinani used the art of arranging flowers to help with her general anxiety disorder. Now, she’s helping others overcome their worries with free flower art therapy workshops in Hong Kong. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Published: 8:15am, 31 Dec 2021Updated: 10:01am, 31 Dec 2021

General anxiety disorder, or GAD, is characterised by persistent and excessive worry. People with it may anticipate disaster or be too concerned about health, family, work, or other issues. Sound familiar?

For one Hongkonger, it was all too real. Simran Mohinani was diagnosed with GAD as a 13-year-old in 2012.

“I have had anxiety ever since I can remember. It manifested in my worrying about everything – from whether my friends loved me, to what my teachers thought about me and having feelings that the world was coming to an end,” says Mohinani, who has suffered a few panic attacks. “I was relieved when I was diagnosed. I could finally see where this was coming from.”

Mohinani, 23, conducts free flower art therapy workshops in Hong Kong every month, and is keen to share the benefits and the boost to mental health she has gained from this activity when it comes to dealing with her anxiety.

“Working with flowers has been therapeutic for me. I feel happy when I am surrounded by them,” she says. She has held workshops at West Kowloon Art Park and Central Market on Hong Kong Island, among other venues.