Most people notice what an aesthetic improvement house plants can be in almost any living space. What they don’t realize is all the other benefits that our green friends bring along with them! We recently looked into this and found a bunch of interesting research. Check it out!
Boost Your Mood
Studies have shown that plants can boost your productivity and concentration. Given the pace of work these days it’s not that surprising that a bit of color can help us work better. It could be that plants give us a “micro break” that help us plow forward in our tasks.
With more people working from home than ever before, plants in your home will make your “work” environment better too.
Reduce Stress
While there are studies that show that plants do indeed reduce stress and fatigue, most of us know this anecdotally: anytime we’ve visited a beach or a forest or a beautiful part of nature we’ve felt relaxed, more at peace.
Hence it’s not that surprising that plants in your home will deliver that same feeling in micro doses. Why should you have to plan a big trip in order to get that stress relief?
Clean Your Air
NASA has a vested interest in studying how to make air cleaner: they have to work in environments in which air is in limited supply. Hence it’s not that surprising that they’ve commissioned numerous studies to study how plants deal with toxins. One in particular showed that plants often removed toxins in a short amount of time.
While most of us aren’t dealing with toxins on a space station, there are lots of stealth toxins lurking in our homes. Paints, detergents, and even our furniture give off compounds that reduce air quality. Opening windows can only do so much (and isn’t as fun to do in winter!). Plants improve air quality by:
- Absorbing toxins
- Increasing humidity (plants release 97% of the water they take in!)
- Producing oxygen
Improve Your Sleep
Speaking of producing oxygen, that’s what plants generally do during the day. When the light goes away, most plants go into carbon dioxide producing mode. That’s when plants like aloe vera and snake plants are smart choices for your bedroom: they emit oxygen at night.
Remember that better sleep doesn’t just come from refreshed air (thanks to your new aloe vera plants) but from relaxing smells. Choices like lavender and jasmine can aid this.
Care for Something
Let’s be honest, it’s nice to see a little (or big) plant that has survived thanks to our watering. It’s an accomplishment for you and a win/win for your air/life quality at home.
We could go on and on about plants reducing noise levels, adding more privacy, and adding life to your space, but we think we’ve made our point!
This content originally appeared in our monthly Open Calendar Club newsletter.
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