Are you looking for natural sources of endorphins and relaxation? Look no further than your backyard. Your plants are ready to help!
There’s nothing better than knowing that our home is our safest sanctuary, and what better way to make it a more comfortable living space than by decorating it with plants that help us live healthier? While this might seem like a time-consuming task at first, the benefits of having plants indoors are limitless.
Today, we’re going to talk about two of the most important benefits of having plants at home – they make your environment a safer place to live in and they can enhance your emotional and mental health. How amazing is that?
How Do Plants Purify the Environment?
Plants use photosynthesis to purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. We, as humans, take in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, but plants do the opposite. Do you have an air purifier installed at home? Not a bad idea, however, as helpful as that may be, no other mechanism can create oxygen the same way plants do. Oxygen is one of the most important elements to having clean, breathable air. Thus, having plants in your home can increase your exposure to clean air.
In 2011, PubMed Central released a study which showed the most effective plant species that naturally freshen air:
Areca, lady, dwarf date, and bamboo palms
Boston fern
Rubber tree
Spider plant
Ficus tree
Aside from that, you can also consider the following:
- Snake plants – They can improve your sleep, freshen the air, increase your energy, and improve your mood.
- Aloe vera – They’re easy to take care of and can be used for healing certain skin conditions like allergies.
- Lavender – Does a cup of lavender tea give you relaxing sensations? Imagine what this plant could do to your mood when you have it in your home! Pair it with one of our Kate Hill Luxury candles, and you’ll feel relaxed and refreshed in no time.
- Jade plants – This type of plant is a natural cleaning agent and will drive away pollutants from your home.
4 Ways Plants Can Lift Your Mood and Improve Your Health
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us were stuck at home without a clear vision of what would happen in the months and years to come. This led to an increasing number of cases of mental health issues. Whether you are going through something dark or are just feeling a little down from a day’s work, having plants in your home will surely help.
Here are a few known health benefits of plants.
They Decrease Levels of Anxiety
Being around the presence of plants for long periods of time allows us to feel more calm and relaxed. Have you noticed how the colour green improves our mood right away? Psychologically, the color green creates a calming effect that relaxes and soothes someone’s nerves. Imagine having loads of greens in your home and being surrounded with its ethereal warmth. Even the thought of it calms you down immediately.
Plants Give You a Taste of Nature
It’s no secret that being in nature and the outdoors gives us a sense of peace. However, not all of us are blessed with an abundance of time to regularly go for a hike or visit a few secret spots to listen and appreciate the natural beauty of nature. To avoid missing out, place several plants in different spots in your home.
It Can Help You Heal Faster
There is strong evidence that the healing effects of nature scenes manifest within 3–5 minutes as a result of a merging of psychological, emotional, and physical changes. In terms of psychological and emotional levels, numerous views of vegetation or garden-like features increase levels of good emotions and lower negatively toned emotions like fear, rage, and despair. With plants’ ability to hold a person’s interest and attention, certain natural sceneries can help reduce stressful thinking. Exposure to plants also reduces blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and brain electrical activity.
Plants Improve Productivity
Since plants lessen a person’s stress levels, it is only natural that it, in turn, improves one’s productivity. With plant exposure, you are able to better concentrate and accomplish more tasks than usual. It also improves your creativity because with lesser stress, you are able to think with more clarity and generate interesting ideas to explore.
Conclusion
Nature has a lot of healing powers, and one of the best ways to introduce it to your home is by finding the right plants to usher in. If you’re not a big plant enthusiast, you can try to find plants that are low maintenance and easy to take care of. Aside from the health benefits these plants can give, it will also bring a pop of colour into your home as well as a festive feel at certain times of year!