Discover the powerful mental health benefits of adding greenery to your home. Your mood and well-being will thank you!
Having plants in your living space can profoundly impact your mental well-being, delivering numerous psychological benefits that can enhance your mood and overall quality of life. And, of course, their aesthetic appeal does no harm, either!
Here are seven ways having plants at home – and at work! – can boost your mental health and overall well-being.
Plants lower stress levels and alleviate anxiety. That holds true whether you spend time looking at plants, picking up the scent of plants around your home, or even moving a plant from one place to another!
A 2015 Journal of Physiological Anthropology study found that individuals who engaged in an activity of transplanting an indoor plant returned a healthier heart rate and a decrease in blood pressure versus others undertaking tasks on a computer, concluding that “active interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress.”
Similarly, a 2022 study highlighted how even small-scale greenery in the workplace, such as having potted plants on desks, can relieve stress.
Being around plants has been shown to improve your mood and encourages a greater sense of well-being, both of which contribute to your overall happiness. This 2023 article from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom even shows you which plants you should choose for the best results!
These same benefits also extend to the office, with a 2014 American Psychological Association study finding that offices filled with plants were more likely to result in higher job satisfaction scores from employees.
Having plants around your home can boost concentration, focus, and productivity, which is brilliant whether you're working at home or want to sit and read a good book without feeling the temptation to reach for your smartphone.
Studies have also found that the presence of plants can lead to a 15% increase in productivity, as well as enhanced cognitive and creative performance.
Simply having plants around you helps you feel calmer but can also deliver a range of physiological benefits, such as suppressing sympathetic nervous system activity and reducing your blood pressure, both of which can contribute to improved overall cardiovascular health.
The great thing about these benefits? You don’t need a lot of plants to enjoy a significant impact. Even a few small succulents around your home or sitting on your desk are enough to unlock them!
Plants play a vital role in enhancing air quality. Not only do they take carbon monoxide from the air and replace it with oxygen, but they can also absorb a variety of other pollutants from the air, reducing the volumes we breathe in.
As such, plants contribute to a healthier home environment, leading to improved mental health and general well-being outcomes.
Everyone likes to feel good, right?
While many people who don't enjoy keeping plants talk about the trouble of looking after them, having this responsibility is one of the benefits that helps to boost your mental health! Going through the routine of watering, pruning, turning, and the other things you do to nurture your plants can provide you with structure and purpose, both of which are vital for our own sense of well-being.
And on top of this, the sense of achievement you feel when your plants thrive also boosts your self-esteem. Having to transplant your plant to a larger pot because it needs more room to grow is almost as cool as a proud parent moment!
In the workplace, having plants on your desk can have the same impact while also giving you a reason to take a break from what you're doing so you can look after them instead.
Engaging with plants encourages mindfulness, helping you to relax and be present and fully engaged in the current moment. Tending to plants can also serve as a form of meditation, allowing you to divert your attention away from things causing you stress and promoting a calmer sense of being.
You can also enjoy the same benefits from plant-related hobbies, such as flower arranging and gardening, so why not give those a try, too?
As you’ve probably already worked out, many of these benefits crossover with each other, highlighting the all-round health benefits you can enjoy from bringing plants into your home.
Best of all, you don't need to turn your home – or your workplace – into a miniature rainforest, nor do you necessarily need to buy plants that require much attention to unlock all these benefits.
From reducing stress to promoting relaxation and perhaps even helping you find a new hobby, bring nature indoors to create a more serene space that supports your well-being.