People in our grandparents’ day didn’t suffer from stress the way we do today. They had plenty of stress but they knew how to get rid of it. Scientists feel that the problem today is not our stress level as it is our lack of stress-removing activities. The older generations unloaded their stress on a daily basis. They lived simple uncluttered lives, free of the gadgets that burden lives today. They wrote with a pen on paper and words flowed from the heart. They walked or rode horses; both the best exercise there is. And our ancestors ate food that was close to nature; grass fed and free range meat, home and local grown fruits and vegetables.
So many of us are so used to living with unresolved stress that we aren’t even aware of how it is affecting us. The American Institute of Stress lists stress symptoms as frequent headaches, trembling, neck, back, and muscle pain, dizziness, ringing in ears, frequent colds, infections, rashes, itching, allergies, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, difficult breathing, panic attacks, and irregular heartbeat. Also depression, anxiety, anger, insomnia, trouble focusing and making decisions, lonliness, overreaction to petty annoyances, minor accidents, lack of productivity, defensiveness, social withdrawal, weight gain, tiredness, and use of over-the-counter drugs. Environmental pollution also takes its toll. Most of us live in polluted environments with constant intake of toxins that cause our bodies to work to get rid of them causing nonstop stress. Stress is hard to describe but we all know how it makes us feel. As crazy as it sounds, physical inactivity is a source of stress. The body is meant to move, and not doing so causes strain and stress. Dr. Paul J. Rosch, director of the American Stress Institure says stress is taking a terrible toll on the nation’s health and economy. The stress doctor goes on to say that every week 12 million people take medications for stress-related symptoms and it costs American business $150 billion every year in lost production, accidents, and medical insurance.
Get a grip by getting a garden. Luther Burbank was a famous American gardener who built a 4 acre garden center in Santa Rosa, California at the end of the 19th century. I found it interesting that he had 1200 wagon loads of manure and compost hauled in to build the soil before he started growing. His specialty was creating new plant varieties out of old ones. Most growers would be happy to introduce one new varitety but Burbank introduced thousands upon thousands. He worked night and day without strain and stress. Burbank credited his tremendous energy to working with nature. He said when we are connected to nature, it provides us with all the vitality we will ever need. He said that gardening gives a person a peaceful mind and a powerful body. I believe that the reason our ancestors were able to handle the stress in their lives better than we handle ours is that they had a direct relationship with nature. Burbank called it a connection with the power source. I have a stepping stone next to the entry of my herb store that says Nowhere Are We Closer To God Than In The Garden.
No matter how tough your day goes, a few minutes of weeding and fussing in the garden will change your mood and attitude. Stress is swept away and replaced by peace of mind. Gardening makes you feel better. Make your garden your own little piece of paradise, removed from all the madness of modern life.
Listen to Jo Anne Boudreau on Herb Talk Thursday morning from 8:00 to 9:00 on KMQX 88.5, 89.5, K249 97.7, K72AZ 93.3, FM Rdio and www.KYQX.com
Lifestyles
Gardening is the purest of human pleasures
Jo Anne Boudreau, Democrat Columnist
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