LET’S TALK HEALTH
Gardening Your Way to Mental Health: A Simple Way to Relieve Stress The pandemic has upended life in so many ways across the U.S. So many of us feel as if we are no longer in control of our surroundings as we lose our jobs, watch our loved ones pass away, and struggle to plan for the future. Amid all this uncertainty and grief, people all over the world are turning to gardening as a way of dealing with their stress, anxiety, and depression. Numerous studies have shown that exposure to green spaces, particularly gardening, is beneficial to mental and physical health. It’s an easy way to feel connected to something larger than yourself when so many of us are stuck in isolation. It can also give you and your patients a sense of hope for the future, even as we struggle to make sense of what’s going on around us. The Gardening Boom Gardening sales are up all over the world. Seed suppliers have had to put online orders on hold due to increased demand. U.S. seed company W. Atlee Burpee & Co. sold more seeds than at any time in its 144-year history back in March, the height of the pandemic. Some retailers are seeing ten times the number of orders they usually process this time of year. This activity is up across the U.S. and abroad for several reasons. Food insecurity and economic uncertainty have played a substantial role. Many people are looking for ways to grow their own food instead of visiting their local supermarket. Some products have also been hard to find on the shelf as worried consumers buy in bulk or out of panic. Produce and other food shortages have resulted in a new generation of green thumbs. 22
