Why houseplants are good for your physical and mental health
For most of us, we own houseplants because they look beautiful in our home. Houseplants are used for style and aesthetic. Did you know houseplants have a number of different health benefits? Many recent studies have said that houseplants can help lower blood pressure, reduce stress, help you breathe better and even work as an antidepressant. Plants will help transform your home into an inviting place to relax at the end of the day.
Cleaning your air
In our normal lives, we are exposed to polluted air every day. Did you know that the pollution levels on the underground are 15 times worse than street level? Yuck! While the air in our homes is not nearly as bad as the underground. There are still contributing factors such as cleaning products, computer fans, aerosols and poor ventilation. These products reduce the quality of air you breathe. Especially in the winter, when doors and windows tend to be closed and there is less ventilation.
Houseplants are brilliant at cleaning the air in our homes. A very popular study at Nasa confirmed how houseplants can clean the air in our homes. Nasa spoke about the 5 common chemicals found in our homes' air. These chemicals can contribute to breathing problems, headaches, coughs and colds.
Air Purifying Plants- Here is a list of our top Air purifying plants. Researched by NASA, not us!
- Snake Plant - Sansevieria ('Sammy')
- Boston Fern - Nephrolepis exaltata ('Hamish')
- Chinese Evergreen Plant - Aglaonema ('Conrad')
- English Ivy - Hedera Helix ('Ivy')
- Golden Pothos - Epipremnum aureum ('Eddie')
Some of the best air purifying houseplants announced by Nasa were the Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum), Snake plant (Sansevieria), Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) and Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) just to name a few. These plants help to remove the toxins in our air making our indoor air cleaner.
Self care and mental health
Our mental health is incredibly important. Our houseplants can help us with this. As humans, when we look at anything aesthetically beautiful our brains will produce dopamine that makes us happy. It’s no secret that houseplants bring us a lot of joy.
Mindfulness
Creating an inviting environment in your home, can do wonders for your mental health. Houseplants have been proven to help you feel more relaxed and less stressed.
You can do this by practising mindfulness with your plants. Take 10 minutes every evening to light a candle, make a cup of tea and sit in your favourite comfy chair. Go device free and appreciate the nature in your home. I know what you’re thinking, ‘I don’t have time for this’. You might be familiar with the saying: ‘you should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day – unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour’. Taking 10 minutes to enjoy nature is a good way to help with anxiety and symptoms of depression.
Routine
Routine can also help our mental health. Houseplants are a good way to keep our routine consistent. The care we give to our plants is continuous. This is a great way to keep busy. Check your plants weekly for new leaves and enjoy the nature that’s growing in your home. Celebrate the new leaves. They are a product of your great plant parenting.
If you have any free time, you can take this opportunity to learn more about your current houseplants. Or add to your collection, one more plant never hurt anybody.
Plants can help you to sleep
For the best night’s sleep possible, the quality of your sleeping environment is important. There are so many distractions in the modern world such as work, Netflix and social media. Are any of us getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep?
Many people have sleep insomnia, which is linked to anxiety and stress. Placing certain plants in your bedroom can help you sleep better. A proper night's sleep can help with your productivity and focus throughout the day.
Lavender is one of the best plants to help you sleep. Lavender helps to reduce anxiety. The smell of lavender not only slows down your heart rate, but also reduces blood pressure and stress levels. It is recommended to have a real lavender plant in your bedroom rather than lavender based products. Go for the real deal.
The Snake plant (Sansevieria) is another plant that will help you to sleep better. This plant takes in the Carbon Dioxide and releases Oxygen while we sleep. Purifying the air we breathe.
Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum) are known to add humidity into the air. The added humidity in the air makes for better sleep while also fighting sore throats and coughs.
Plants in the workplace
It has been proven many times that being amongst nature is very good for your mental health. So, how do we improve the quality of our professional life? Through plants of course!
Bringing a small part of nature into your work space is hugely beneficial. If indoor plants can help our homes feel more inviting, why can’t they do the same for our workspaces?
According to extensive studies, bringing greenery into an office space can help with productivity, happiness and creativity.
In Japan, a study was conducted to find out if people were more or less likely to be stressed or anxious depending on if they had plants in their workspace. Participants were instructed to take 3 minute breaks to look at their plants whenever they began to feel stressed. The results showed that workers were less stressed with plants in the workplace compared to how they felt before the study.
Many plants will be happy in an office environment. Snake plants (Sansevieria), ZZ plants (Zamioculcas zamiifoliq) and cacti are great office plants as they only need watering once a month. The snake plant and ZZ plant are happy in most light conditions but prefer medium/low light. The cacti will be happy in sunlight but nothing too bright that could scorch their leaves.
Using crystals with plants
If you are looking for a way to create a haven of good energy and positivity. You may want to look into the benefits of using crystals with your houseplants.
Crystals are very aesthetically pleasing. Not only do they look good, many people feel they bring positive and calming energies into their space. We believe that placing crystals around your plants can help the health and growth of your plant.
If you have a houseplant that is deteriorating in health (and you have already tried adjusting their light, water, humidity and looked for insects), try placing crystals around your plant or on the topsoil. Crystals such as Rose Quartz, Amethyst and Aventurine are known for their healing powers on Plants.
We want to make the world a better place through plants! Not only do they brighten up the aesthetic of our homes and workspaces, but they do so much for your physical and mental health. Indoor plants are a way to enjoy a piece of mind and nature every single day.
Leave a comment