Plants for better mental health

Do you find joy in taking care of plants? Do you feel calm around them? Do you like to decorate your home with them?

Over the past few years, more people have been investing in plants. Plants can be used to spruce up the place, but they actually can be used for more. They can actually help with our mental health. They can also pass the time, especially with many of us currently in lockdown.

This article will further explore plants and mental health, their psychological effects, and whether they’re good for you.

Psychological effects of indoor plants

Plants are more than decorative objects. Science has found that they can actually help improve your mood! Plants have been linked with certain psychological and physical benefits. For example, cleaner air or lower stress levels. 

One of the benefits when owning indoor plants is lower levels of anxiety. You may find that being surrounded by plants can reduce your symptoms, and make you feel calmer. Taking care of them can also be quite therapeutic. In Manchester, in fact, certain medical clinics have even “prescribed” potted plants to those suffering with mental health issues!

Plants can also help with productivity; watering them and making sure they get enough sunlight is definitely a part of that. But they’ve also been found to boost productivity and creativity if placed in your workspace! A 2007 study discovered that people took fewer sick days and were more productive on the job.

Since indoor plants produces cleaner air, it’s not surprising that they can quicken recovery times from illness. Simply looking at plants can make you heal much faster from an injury, illness, or surgery. Makes sense why flowers are usually in the hospital gift shop!

Which plants are good for mental health?

There are a few plants you can consider to improve your mental health and wellbeing!

Aloe vera is one of the most easiest plants to take care of, and helps purify the air. Usually, you can cut off the leaves to treat a wound or in order to repot it. So you might find that cutting off the leaves in order to repot it can symbolise getting rid of things no longer necessary for its growth.

Lavender is an extremely popular plant, for good reason! Many people use its scent to help them calm down, which is why it’s effective for anxiety or sleep. Lavender is also a beautiful plant to have indoors.

You can also consider eucalyptus, due to its clean aroma. Eucalyptus can help clear up your mind, and is also useful for colds or asthma.

Peace lilies are also worth investing in, as they can neutralise harmful indoor chemicals. More than that, people have found that their mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing thrive because of it.

Lastly, snake plants are incredibly durable and so don’t require a lot of attention. Since they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, they can also purify the oxygen wherever they are!

Plants can provide the perfect opportunity for this lockdown to lift your spirits up. They’re not only beneficial when it comes to decoration, but they can improve your physical and mental wellbeing. Can’t access depression or anxiety therapy? You can always try getting a plant! Plants and mental health go well together.

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