Stress Gardening is Real & It's Great For You! - iOnGreenville: Your Guide to Greenville South Carolina

Everyone is dealing with the stress of Social Distancing in their own way. From exercise to reading, stress relief takes on many forms and a lot Americans are turning to gardening. Seed demand is soaring and finding plants can be a bit of a chore during this time as well.

However the benefits are too numerous to ignore:

You can burn about 330 calories doing one hour of light gardening and yard work
It can lower your blood pressure.
Spending time outside is good for your bones by prompting your body to make vitamin D.
Growing your own food can help you eat healthier.
Gardening is positively correlated with a reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms
growing plants may also help boost your mood. Gardening hs been linked with increases in quality of life and reductions in mood disturbance. This may have something to do with how it changes your outlook

Experts say doing an activity, like gardening, where you actually see your work paying off can help you mentally and physically and it’s not that hard to set up. If you can’t find the seeds you want, don’t stress:
“Gardeners enjoy about a five-week window to plant from mid-April to June 1. “If you don’t get started right away, don’t be anxious.”