Studies Show Houseplants Improve Your Mental Health & Wellness

Plants are pretty important. It's not new news to say plants are an essential part of our survival. Everything: food, construction materials, natural medicine, oh and the most important of all, the process of taking carbon dioxide and transforming it into oxygen. It's not a surprise then, recent studies conclude that indoor plants have a direct impact on our mental health & wellness.

There are numerous reasons why having household plants might improve our mood, and general consensus is they’re preferred to look at and smell. Wallpaper and carpet don’t really match living things and vibrant colors. A recent study further supports this notion in its research that there is a direct correlation between the amount of care required to keep a houseplant from dying and the positive psychological effect it had in the caretaker. We learn from the research, those who share extended periods of time with houseplants tend to have better relationships with other people and consequently experience heightened levels of happiness.

Plants Help People...Help People

Additional research found that flowering plants provide elevated levels of happiness and therefore, having flowering houseplants around the house and in the office is likely to significantly lower stress levels. Science is science. Studies have shown that people who have been around plants are much more likely to help others, and tend to have more active social relationships. People who care for nature are more likely to care for others, reaching out to their peers and forming shared bonds out of their common interests.

More Plants, Less Stress 

Natural aesthetic beauty is believed to have a relaxing effect, and including ornamental plants around the family home is an awesome way to lower stress and anxiety. As a result of the increased happiness derived from a home that has plants in it, the possibility of suffering from stress-induced depression is reduced as well. The research supports that by having houseplants, you improve your mental health by activating peace and open spaces to your brain.

Plants Help You Remember Your To-Do List

Including ornamental houseplants in the home and office improves memory retention and concentration. How? The calming influence of natural environments increases a person’s ability to concentrate on the task at hand. Going outside with nature or being under the influence of houseplants inside your home can improve memory retention up to twenty percent, a recent University of Michigan study concluded (Sewach).

Convinced yet? Great. Here are two ideas for great plants to have in your home:

Spider Plant

Spider plants are one of the most popular indoor botanicals, and your kids are going to like them because umm duh, it's name, spider plant They’re very easy to care for, and spider plants are especially good at absorbing allergens or mold from the air and can be put to good use in places that are prone to dampness: laundry room, downstairs, and bathrooms. Spider plants are mainly low maintenance, too. Offer them with bright, indirect light and they will flourish. Water the houseplant well but do not overwater, which can lead to root rot. Even better, spider plants don't mind drying out some between waterings.

Snake Plant

A study of CO2 conversion in houseplants by Harvard University found that the snake plant is one of the most oxygen-producing plants. Oh—by the way, ficus and pothos are two other plants on the list. One of the best snake plant health benefits is it can make ongoing contribution to remove toxic air pollutants. Outside of CO2, snake plant's can absorb benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene; all of which are cancer-causing pollutants. Snake plants are some of the easiest to care for plants out there as snake plants can live-through weeks of neglect without losing neither shape nor vibrant look. Snake plants can thrive in environments with very low light and water. 

Notice a trend with our two houseplants? If you have kids, we’re hopefully making it easier to get them excited! Who gets Spider and who gets Snake?