While many people choose to have plants inside their homes, due to the aesthetic they bring, there are plenty of other reasons why having indoor plants is important.
For instance, a plant owner’s health can drastically improve, based on the types of indoor plants that he or she has. Whether it be a physical benefit from improving the air quality, or a mental benefit from taking care of – and tending to – the plant, the rewards are abundant.
Indoor house plants have the ability to clear toxins out of the air in order to make breathing much easier. Additionally, finding a plant which releases a pleasant or fragrant scent can also help stimulate an increase in mood. Find out a few of the ways having indoor plants can benefit your health by reading below.
1. Purifying the Air
One of the greatest benefits to having indoor plants inside your home is that certain plants can actually purify the air around you. The air that you are breathing in every single day can be better for you with specific houseplants nearby. Plants are known to remove the toxins, which naturally inhabit the air every 24 hours. These toxins are comprised of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which can include formaldehyde, which is present in vinyl and rugs, as well as benzene or trichloroethylene which can be found in certain fibers and paints. Plants purify the air by pulling the foreign contaminants into their soil, where the root microorganisms actually turn those toxins into food the plant can benefit from. A few of the most common air purifying indoor plants to purchase, include the below:
- Bamboo Palm
- Chinese Evergreen
- Gerbera Daisy
- Dragon Tree
- Peace Lily
- Spider Plant
2. Stress Reduction
Are you riddled with high anxiety? Do you come home from work extremely stressed? Having indoor plants can help. A recent study by the Journal of Environmental Psychology concluded that flowering houseplants, like the anthurium, help to alleviate high levels of stress in our day-to-day lives. It has been concluded that seeing greenery and spending time with nature is good for the mind, body and soul. The benefits of focusing on plants, or being surrounded by plants, can allow you to find calmness and tranquility without even realizing it.
3. Help With Breathing
Plants release over 95 percent of the water that they take in through the photosynthetic and respiratory processes that help them thrive. When a plant releases this moisture vapor, there is an increase in the humidity of the air. This ultimately means that when you place a few different plants together in one room, you can actually increase the humidity of the entire room. This can help with respiratory issues and breathing problems, while decreasing overall problems such as the following:
- Dry skin
- Sore throat
- Coughing
- Colds
- Fatigue
- Flu-like symptoms
4. A More Restful Night Sleep
There are certain plants that you can keep inside your home that will be most helpful when you need a restful night sleep. Studies have shown that having plants like lavender or jasmine in your room can lead to a better night sleep as the plant releases certain vapors that you then inhale. By placing these plants near your bed, you’ll be able to smell them as you sleep, promoting a good night sleep and inducing a state of tranquility and peacefulness.
5. Alleviating Depression
There is a reason why people send flowers to friends and family who are sick or who need to “Get Well Soon.” Nothing will perk someone up quite as much as a bouquet of colorful flowers, or a vibrant, lush flourishing potted plant. Plants are known to increase levels of positivity within a person, making him or her feel much more secure and relaxed. In addition, having indoor plants can help alleviate a person’s depression, as it provides the chance to care for another living thing. Giving someone a plant will ultimately give him or her a purpose, while also offering the chance for a reward when the care goes a long way for the plant.
6. Increase Mental Focus
Many people are unaware of how plants can actually help them focus and think more than being without plants. This is why so many office buildings have a wide variety of potted plants throughout the lobby and surrounding areas. Having a potted plant at your desk or inside your office can help to refocus your attention, and also give you a much-needed brain boost in the process. A study by Healthline recently showed that plants can help increase productivity by 38 percent, creativity by 45 percent and memory retention by 20 percent.
7. Provide a Fresh Scent
Have you ever walked by a lot of Christmas trees around the holidays and immediately went back to a warm memory? Scents from plants and nature have the ability to do that for a lot for people. Which is why having fragrant plants inside your house can be a huge benefit to overall happiness. Not only will you find an increase in mood with fragrant plants, but also a wonderfully fresh scent that replaces the need for any chemical or artificial air fresheners. Some of the most fragrant plants you can have for your home include:
- Dwarf kaffir lime trees.
- Jasmine flower.
- Rosemary.
- Dianthus flower.
- Lavender.
- Mint.
8. Improve Overall Health
There is a reason why the gift shop at a hospital has fresh flowers and plants available to purchase for patients staying short-term or long-term. A study that was conducted by researchers at Kansas State University found that adding a plant to a hospital room can help to speed up the recovery rates of surgical patients. When compared to patients who were in rooms with no plants, those patients required more pain medication, had higher blood pressure, and had more of a feeling of fatigue and anxiety. Meanwhile, patients with plants had far fewer symptoms, and were released sooner.
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