There are many benefits to having a garden or putting a few houseplants in your home. Besides looking pretty, or giving you food, there are health reasons for owning a plant. Some plants can improve your mental health, whether by looking at them or by the chemicals they release. Here are a few plants that do just that.
Flower Power
Growing flowers can be a fun activity. You need to turn that tiny seed into a beautiful, blossoming flower, and it can require a lot of work. Flowers can help improve your mental health in many ways, and here are a few reasons why:
- They can improve your mood. Flowers are associated with many positive emotions, and by looking at them or smelling them, they can make you feel better.
- Lavender can help you relax. It lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, and can make you sleep better.
- Sometimes, having a flower in your room can make you feel productive. Oftentimes, this has to do with their color. A red rose can fire you up and make you want to get stuff done. A flower with a cooler color, such as a blue one, can calm you down when you’re stressed.
- Flowers may help with your memory. Certain smells and sights can trigger memories, and the different smells of flowers help to contribute to that.
- A flower can just cheer someone up. If you are having trouble with your spouse, giving them some flowers can be a good icebreaker or gesture to show them that you care and you’re thinking of them. (We do still recommend seeking couples therapy if there are serious issues that need to be addressed.)
The Snake Plant
The snake plant has a few mental health benefits. It cleans the air around you, which can improve your mental health. It can reduce your anxiety and symptoms of mental health, such as headaches.
Rosemary
Rosemary is another good plant for improving the air around you and reducing your anxiety. Besides that, it’s said that rosemary can help improve your memory. Being forgetful can be a sign of poor mental health, so having a memory boosting plant on you can help.
English Ivy
This plant helps remove the mold in the air and reduces allergies. Not only are allergies physically annoying, but they may prevent you from sleeping well. This can cause your mental health to suffer. If you’ve been having trouble sleeping due to allergies, why not put an English ivy plant in your room?
Gardening and Mental Health
Besides the plants themselves, gardening may be able to improve your mental health, too. There are a few good reasons for that.
First, it gets you outside. Being outside and walking around can work wonders for your mental health. A houseplant can help as well, but having a garden and tending to it is one of the best ways to do it.
Second, a garden puts you on a schedule. You need to tend to your garden, and you need to do it on a certain schedule for the best results. Having a routine can help fight depression and other mental health problems.
Finally, it’s a good distraction, keeping you preoccupied and not ruminating on the state of your mental health.
These are just a few plants that can help you with your mental health. Best of all, there’s a plant for any situation. You don’t need a huge garden to have a few plants to put you at ease. If you are looking to improve your mental health, plants can be a valuable tool in addition to seeking professional help as well. Look into them today.
About the author: Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
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