Mental health is something that often doesn’t get talked about, but it’s incredibly important. An estimated one in four adults will experience a mental illness in any given year and this number is on the rise.
Having plants in your home has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health, which is why so many people with green thumbs choose to grow houseplants as a hobby . In this blog post, you will learn all about how houseplants benefit your mental health and why they are great for your home.
Therefore, if you’re looking for another reason to add more plants to your space, keep reading! We also include some tips on how to grow them better and maintenance.
What does a healthy home mean for your mental health?
We’re sure you already know that a healthy diet, exercise and getting enough sleep are important for your mental health, but what about your home? Many of us spend a large portion of our lives indoors, so investing in a home that is healthy for both the body and mind is essential.
A healthy home provides a safe environment that promotes good mental health through reduced levels of stress, improved concentration while working and sleeping, and reduced overall anxiety. If you are able to create a healthy indoor environment, you can reduce your risk of experiencing the negative health effects caused by exposure to indoor pollutants.
You may not realize it, but everyday items such as cleaning products, paint, and even the food you have in your fridge have the potential to negatively impact your health. As do things like high CO2 levels, dampness, mold, and allergens like dust mites, cockroaches and rodents.
Therefore, to create a healthy home, you need to minimize the amount of these pollutants and allergens in your home and use natural resources to create a safe and healthy space.
Houseplants That Benefit Your Mental Health
Houseplants are great for relieving common mental health problems such as anxiety, stress, and depression.
As well as improving your concentration and ability to focus. Some of the best houseplants for mental health include the Bird’s Nest Fern, Snake Plant, Chinese evergreen, or peace lily.
You can also use certain scents to improve your mental health and mood, such as rose and citrus. You can also use houseplants to help calm children, students, and pets in the home. Therefore, if you’re looking for a way to improve mental health among loved ones, try adding some houseplants to your space.
Having Houseplants Improves Indoor Air Quality
Having houseplants in your home can significantly improve indoor air quality (see more info about that here!). They filter toxins from the air and remove harmful substances such as formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene.
Therefore, making your home a safer environment for you and your family. Some of the best plants for improving indoor air quality include the Areca Palm, a spider plant, and the bamboo palm. The bamboo palm is great as it also helps reduce humidity levels in your home. However, before adding a houseplant to your home, you should research it and make sure you look after it properly.
You should also check whether it is safe to grow in your home. Some plants, such as certain varieties of bamboo, are not suitable for indoor growing due to their ability to grow out of control. Therefore, it is important to make sure you choose the right plants to grow in your home.
How Houseplants Help With Depression
Houseplants have been proven to help reduce depression by as much as 20%!! So if you have been diagnosed with depression, you should consider adding some to your home.
Many people who suffer from depression also suffer from feelings of isolation and loneliness. Therefore, adding houseplants to your home can also help reduce feelings of loneliness and could help you make new connections with others.
Although studies show that houseplants may help reduce depression, they aren’t a treatment for depression or a cure.
How Houseplants Help With Anxiety
If you suffer from anxiety, adding houseplants to your home could help reduce the symptoms. Studies have shown that the presence of plants in the home has a calming effect on those who suffer from anxiety.
One theory is that seeing leaves move in the wind reminds people of being outdoors and the sounds associated with this. Therefore, it can help reduce feelings of anxiety, stress, and boredom. However, you should note that houseplants won’t cure anxiety and if you have been diagnosed with anxiety you should seek medical help.
How Houseplants Can Help Those Struggling With Trauma and PTSD
If you are struggling with PTSD or have suffered from a traumatic event in your past, houseplants can help you to recover. The green thumb therapy is a practice that uses nature and plants to help those who have suffered from trauma.
Houseplants can help people with PTSD by providing a sense of calm, reducing anxiety, and helping people to focus on the present and not their past trauma. The presence of plants in the home has been shown to reduce blood pressure and heart rate, which can help those who struggle with PTSD to relax and recover.
However, you should note that houseplants won’t cure PTSD and if you have been diagnosed with PTSD you should seek medical help.
Houseplants can have a pretty positive impact on your mental health by improving indoor air quality and helping you to relax. Furthermore, research has shown that people who have plants in their home have lower blood pressure and reduced levels of cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress.
When choosing the best houseplants for mental health, you should consider their ability to improve air quality and be easy to care for. You should also choose plants that are easy to grow and have a long lifespan if possible. If you have never grown houseplants before, don’t worry!
They are incredibly easy to maintain and rewarding. You just need to make sure that you understand how to look after them and provide them with the right conditions.
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