let's turn to plants to improve our mental wellbeing
Today is World Mental Health Day and in honour of such, we are donating £1 from every sale of our Snake Plant to Kids Inspire. This charity provides mental health and trauma recovery support for children, young people and their families.
Besides from bringing a boost of botanical beauty to homes, plants also boast a multitude of benefits for your mind. Here's five ways they can boost your mental wellbeing.
- They reduce anxiety - Surrounding yourself with nature and plants has been proven to relax and calm us for numerous reasons. According to a study published in Journal of Physiological Anthropology, interaction such as touching and smelling indoor plants can reduce stress. And interestingly, the soil of a plant even plays a part, too. This is because soil contains microbes (M. vaccae) which work as natural antidepressants. Who knew?!
- They boost mood - Of course, admiring the beauty of your plant is bound to leave you feeling happier, research also shows that employees who work in the presence of plants tend to feel happier about their jobs, worry less, and even take less sick days (webmd.com). Maybe email this to your boss?
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They promote healing - A study conducted at Kansas State University recommends them as a “non-invasive, inexpensive, and effective complementary medicine for surgical patients.” The results concluded that when plants are visible, patients recovering from surgery will experience less anxiety, and fatigue compared to those without plants in their rooms.
- They're rewarding to care for - Dopamine is the chemical responsible for motivating behaviour. In other words, it gets released when we eat delicious food or after we exercise – it rewards us for beneficial behaviour and motivates us to repeat them. So when you're acing being a great plant parent, you're likely to feel good about it.
- They spark creativity - We're 15 percent more creative when surrounded by greenery and plants - which is good news, as creative acts such as crafting can help focus the mind. Some compare it to meditation for its calming effect on the brain and body.