Gardening - A Great Way to Reduce Stress ~

We all have too much stress.  That's something most people would agree on.  We think about how stressed we are and what's causing it (too busy perhaps?), we talk about it with friends, and write about it on Facebook, but it still doesn't go away!

I am no different!  I don't really think I have that much to be stressed about (not currently at least!), but I am clearly a worry wart!  Unfortunately, when I worry, the stress goes right to my stomach.  I deal with Acid Reflux (like many people do) and when I'm really stressed, I deal with esophageal spasms which is very painful.  Medicine doesn't do much, so I've been told I need to learn deal with my stress in other ways.  One thing that helps a lot is a little time in the garden!

We don't own the house we currently live in, but love the backyard.  It has a nice big lawn and flower beds along the perimeter of the yard.  The problem is, the weeds just LOVE the flower beds and now with the rain arriving, the weeds are growing as quickly as the flowers!  I've learned to grab a little time here and there as I can!

I spent time this last weekend working in the yard and it felt great!  It may not be as rewarding as it would be if we owned the house, but oh well!  I pulled weeds, cut back some ivy, trimmed dead blooms off of my geraniums so more could appear... it was fun and rewarding.  I enjoyed the time outside, it gave me a sense of peace, a sense of accomplishment, and now I'm ready to plant some new colorful plants.

Here are my top 5 reasons why you should try gardening...

1. Physical work of any kind reduces stress (and gardening is much more fun!).
2. It gives you a great sense of accomplishment and peace of mind.
3. It makes your neighbors and/or family members happy (maybe the family will help next time!).
4. A nice yard will encourage you to host events at your house (fun and another way to de-stress!).
5. And for you calorie counters... an hour of yard work burns about 272 calories... which is equal to (1) Grande Starbuck's Caffe Latte or (1) Snicker's Bar (among other things).  Sounds good to me! 

Give it a try!  And if you are a renter, or live in a small space, try container gardening!  Your containers can go wherever you do!

** Calorie count found on About.com **
Note: Definition of a worry wart: "A person who tends to worry, especially over insignificant details".