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Houseplants Equal Improved Mental Health & Wellness

April 15, 2019

Houseplants near a couch

Plants are very important. News flash: plants are an essential part of our survival. Think about it: food, construction materials, medicine, oh and the most important of all, taking carbon dioxide and transforming it into oxygen. It will come as no surprise then, recent studies highlight that household plants have a direct impact on our mental health.

There are numerous reasons why household plants might improve our mood, and an unmistakable reason is they’re better 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 report that there is a direct correlation between the amount of care required to keep a plant from dying and the positive psychological effect it had in the houseplant's caretaker. The researched showed, those who share extended periods of time in the presence of plants tend to have better relationships with friends & family and accordingly experience higher levels of happiness.

best houseplants in apartment homes 

Plants Help People, Help People

Another study found that flowering houseplants provide increased levels of happiness and therefore, keeping flowering houseplants around the apartment home and in the workplace is likely to significantly lower stress levels. Science is science. Studies have shown that people who spend more time around plants are almost always more likely to try and help others, and tend to have more active social relationships. It makes sense, people who care for plants & animals are more likely to care for others, reaching out to their peers and forming mutual bonds resulting from their mutual interests.

Plants Reduce Stress 

Natural aesthetic beauty is believed to have a relaxing effect, and having ornamental plants around the apartment home is an excellent way to decrease stress and anxiety. As a result of the positive energy derived from a home or work space that has plants in it, the likeliness of suffering from stress-caused depression is decreased as well. The research supports that by having houseplants, you improve your mental health by inducing peace and open spaces to your brain.

Plants Help You Remember Your To-Do List

Including ornamental houseplants in the home boosts memory retention and concentration. How? Natural environments, and the calming influence created by them, increases a person’s ability to fixate on the task at hand. Going outside with nature or being under the influence of houseplants inside can improve memory retention close to twenty percent, a recent University of Michigan research project concluded (Sewach).

Are you convinced yet? Great. Here are some examples of ideas for great plants to have in your apartment:

best plants for your house

Spider Plant

Spider plants are a very popular indoor botanicals, and your kids are going to enjoy them because , spider plant. Best. name. ever. They’re super easy to take care of, and spider plants are very good at absorbing mold or allergens from the air and will work wonders in areas that are prone to dampness: laundry room and bathrooms. Spider plants are fairly easy to care for, too. Provide them with bright, indirect light and it will flourish. Water it well but do not overwater, which can lead to root rot. In fact, spider plants are okay to dry out a bit between waterings.

Snake Plant

A study of CO2 conversion in plants by Harvard University found that the snake plant is one of the most oxygen-producing plants. In case you're interested, ficus and pothos are two other plants included on the list. One of the most important snake plant health benefits is snake plant's can make ongoing contribution to get rid of toxic air pollutants. It can do more than absorb CO too, they can absorb benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene; all of which are cancer-causing pollutants. Snake plants are some of the most tolerant plants out there as it can go weeks of being forgotten without losing neither shape nor healthy and vibrant look. They can thrive in environments with minimal light and water. 

Notice anything with our two suggestions? If you have kid visitors, we’re hoping it will help it easier to get them excited! Who gets Spider and who gets Snake?