Why Should You have Houseplants?
It may have occurred to you that you could have plants in your home or office, but then you remembered that they require care and attention. Is it really worth taking that much time, when you can have this beautiful scenery just outside your home?
Well, there are a variety of health benefits derived from having plants around your house. These benefits outweigh the effort and cost required to set up a routine of watering and feeding the plants. Additionally, there are plants that require less care than others (such as cacti).
You may have heard of the benefits, but you may not know the truth about them. Can your plants actually make you happier? What are the proven benefits of having plants in your home? Researchers studied the claims and found the truth. Here are some science-backed, proven benefits.
Improve the Mental Health
Just having them in your home can improve your mental health since they naturally help to heal and do not involve crushing them and using their juice. A study from the United Kingdom found that people living near nature felt happier than those living away from nature. Those who live in the country aren’t the only ones affected. Even looking at the greenery in the home is helpful.
There are a few plausible theories on why this is the case. One of them is that the plants make you think of being outside. Your mind wanders to the countryside and the open spaces. The plants help you feel less enclosed, especially in the inner city.
It feels peaceful around plants. They don’t mind about your busy day. They just grow. Plants are patient and docile, and that calming nature helps to create that environment in your home. As opposed to feeling constantly rushed throughout the home, you can enjoy the calming effects of plants.
Additionally, plants assist with air quality. They release oxygen into the air and remove carbon dioxide. When you have them in your home, the air is naturally more beneficial for you. You will experience fewer dizziness, fatigue, and cloudiness since there is more oxygen in the body. From there, you will be able to complete tasks more efficiently. Your body releases the right kinds of hormones, supporting your physical and mental health.
You should consider getting some plants in your home if you suffer from depression or anxiety. Look for plants that can work to your advantage. If you don’t have the time to water daily, look for plants that don’t require as much water, such as cacti. It takes a little more work to grow flowers and plants, however, if you love the idea of them you can opt for them.
A good smell can also have a positive effect on mental health. When you have a pleasant smell, you instantly feel relaxed and happier. Your sense of smell is a powerful tool for storing memories, since it helps recollect good experiences rather than unpleasant ones, which immediately increases the amount of positive chemicals in your brain.
Boost Immune System
The benefits don’t stop with your mental health. Plants also aid your physical well-being. Especially during flu season, plants boost the immune system.
The mental benefits are part of it. If you get more sleep and feel more relaxed, your immune system is able to work better. The bugs and viruses that do their rounds will be easier to fight off. But that’s not the only way you gain.
Phytoncides are airborne chemicals of plants. They help to reduce the amount of stress you feel throughout the day. You don’t even need to see them to enjoy this benefit! You get a natural boost to your immune system when you feel less stressed. Many times you won’t physically feel the benefits, except when your friends would remind you you haven’t had a cold they have had!
The plants have also been shown to have nutritional benefits. Even if you don’t eat or use them, they can still help to promote positive chemicals that support your immune system. Another benefit of the supplements is that they also help fight off colds, flus and other illnesses.
The healing benefits of plants are why they’re often found outside hospitals, and why hospital staff are happy for patients to have the plants by their bedsides. The treatments have assisted patients in recovering faster from illnesses.
A study conducted in Norway found that illnesses dropped by 60% through the use of plants in the home. Even though they aren’t used on all illnesses, they are certainly worth investing in.
Improved Productivity
Have you ever felt like you can’t focus on your work? They key is the way your workspace is decorated. Those with more pictures, plants and decorations are obviously more productive. You get a reminder as to why you’re working and why your life is worthwhile.
The extra mental health benefits are also worth it. A space without any way of personalizing it is dull and demotivating. This leads to a place that you don’t care about, and that affects your mental health. Feeling stressed and anxious, you find it harder to stop working at the end of the day. You don’t feel fulfilled after the day.
A bit of color in your workspace or home can help you get rid of that feeling. Bringing color in, more energy will help you be more productive. With a plant in sight, you’ll find yourself more inspired and creative. A problem you’ve been struggling with for the last three hours becomes much easier, and you come up with creative solutions to impress your boss.
You don’t need a lot of plants to get this benefit. Just a couple will make the workspace positive.
Improved Air Quality
Poor air quality can be a major issue. Did you know that the air in your home is much worse than that of a large city? This is because pollutants get into your house, but can be extremely hard to get out. Bacteria and viruses stay in the house, which increases your chances of becoming ill in the winter. Besides opening your windows, you can also spread plants around the house to enhance air quality.
The plants release airborne chemicals which attack the pollutants in the air and instantly rectify the balance. You breathe air that’s healthier and safer for you to breathe.
We have already discussed the benefits of improving your air quality. It helps to improve your immune system and mental health. Improved air quality also helps to improve your chest health. Breathing in pollutants irritates the lungs. By breathing fresher air, your airways stay clear and irritant-free, making it much easier to breathe.
You should have plants in your home if you have pets. While they won’t remove the pet hair that’s accumulating on the floor, they will help remove any pollutants the pets bring in from the outdoors. It will also help your pet live longer.
Plants are capable of removing around 87% of the pollutants in the air, including some of the most harmful chemicals. Benzene and formaldehyde are known cancer-causing compounds and should be eliminated from the home as much as possible.
Your plants will simply pull the chemicals into the soil, which will then be turned into food for the plants. So, even as your health improves, your plants will flourish with food!
Add More Humidity
As plants take in water, they release most of that water back out again. That’s great for you because the water will help you improve the quality of your air and your health. A dry environment can cause irritation in the lungs and cause symptoms such as dry mouth and overheating. Your body needs moisture as much as possible.
Plants absorb moisture from the air for you, so you don’t have to buy a humidifier and increase your electricity bills. The plants do it all for you for absolutely nothing.
Put plants in your bedroom if you struggle to sleep because of dry air at night. Plants constantly release water throughout the night, which keeps your bedroom at the best level. In the dining room and living room, you can also use plants to make the living spaces much more comfortable.
In the same way, plants will also absorb some of this moisture to use later, so you can help improve your respiratory health by controlling humidity in the bathroom or kitchen.
Add Plants to Your Home!
The health benefits of plants are just around the corner. All five above have been proven beneficial to your health by researchers. No matter if you need a psychological or physical boost, plants will give you both.