Houseplants are not just a decorative element anymore. From tiny apartments to spacious homes, people are filling their houses with greenery, thinking that plants make their homes more comfortable and pleasant. It turns out that there might be something true about this popular trend. As psychologists say, the happiness of plant owners has nothing to do with gardening skills and the so-called green thumb. According to research, living with nature helps to improve mood, to decrease stress and to boost overall wellbeing. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) presents a study explaining how plants can help people maintain their mental health and become valuable friends.
Plants help create a sense of calm
One of the main reasons why people are happy with houseplants is that these plants create a calming atmosphere in the house. Natural elements in interior design automatically soften spaces and make them pleasant. Psychologists know for sure that people recover from mental exhaustion faster in the natural environment than in an artificial one. Even several houseplants put on a desk, windowsill, or living room shelf will make the room look more relaxing and will encourage some meditation after hard days.
Research finds the link between plants and better mental wellbeing
According to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), being close to plants and green spaces helps to keep good mental health and to maintain emotional wellbeing. In particular, psychologists find that interaction with plants may decrease stress and improve the person’s mood. Moreover, scientists notice that staying close to nature helps people to relax and to get positive restorative experiences even in urban areas when large natural places are not available.
Looking after plants gives people a sense of purpose
Taking care of a living plant provides a person with an additional daily task that can bring satisfaction. Watering, trimming or watching for new leaves helps people to have some little achievement that gives positive emotions. From the point of view of psychology, taking care of other living things creates responsibility and gives people a sense of purpose. Contrary to other household chores, looking after plants usually provides the person with some obvious results of their efforts.
Green places can help decrease everyday stress
Modern life means that we spend a lot of time inside, receive many notifications, and have many problems at work. Houseplants become an opportunity to establish a connection with nature. It seems that looking at natural colours and shapes of plants can help our brain to distract from stresses and to refocus on other things. Of course, houseplants are not a replacement for professional help in mental health issues, but can become part of a calming interior that will encourage people to relax and to feel more balanced.
Plants encourage mindfulness and slower living
Having houseplants becomes the reason to move more slowly and to pay more attention to your surroundings. Paying attention to new sprouts, checking whether the plant needs water, or changing its place according to changes in light will promote mindfulness. Instead of going through some boring task fast, plant care will encourage people to pause and to pay attention to what is happening right now. It will give people chances to escape from digital world, to decrease mental load, and to notice some signs of growth in themselves and around them.
You do not have to have a garden to get the benefits
One of the most exciting conclusions from the latest research is that benefits from greenery are possible for people who do not have a garden. Any snake plant, pothos, peace lily or spider plant can be used as the way of bringing greenery into a small apartment, office, or bedroom. Choosing plants which are not very difficult to take care of, people can enjoy all the benefits from greenery without being stressed about it. It does not matter that you cannot create an indoor jungle immediately.
Happiness may come from nature, not just gardening
Purchasing houseplants may seem to be an ordinary decision about style, but from the point of view of psychology, benefits of this choice go much deeper than just home decorating or a hobby. As the research of UK Research and Innovation proves, being surrounded by plants helps to maintain emotional well-being, to decrease stress, and to create restorative spaces. Though plants cannot help with all the problems, they can become quiet friends that will make your life a bit calmer day by day.https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/iyph2020/how-plants-promote-better-mental-health-and-wellbeing/