The Benefits of Keeping a House Plant

Plants and flowers are visually pleasing, but there are actual health benefits associated with them, and you do not need to be outdoors to enjoy these gifts from nature. You can grow plants indoors and enjoy their benefits in your home or office. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of keeping a house plant in your home or office.

Lower stress
In one study that involved young men, the participants were asked for re-pot a houseplant and do a short task on the computer. Once each task was completed, researchers recorded biological factors that indicate stress levels, such as blood pressure and heart rate. The gardening activity lowered the participants’ stress levels, while the computer activity increased the participants’ blood pressure and heart rate.

Better focus and attention
In a study, students were taught in a classroom that included a fake plant, a live plant, a picture of a plant, or no plant present at all. The brain scans of the students who were in the classroom that had a real plant in it paid more attention and concentrated better than the students in the other classrooms.

Therapeutic benefit
As stated above, tending to plants can lower stress levels, and it has been found to reduce anxiety and depression and promote feelings of wellness and stability. Many doctors recommend that their patients care for an indoor plant to help with the symptoms of their mental illness.

Bounce back from illness more quickly
You may not have realized it, but bringing flowers to someone in the hospital has more benefits than just giving them something pleasant to look at. Having flowers and plants in the hospital room can actually help the patient recover more quickly and reduce the amount of pain medication needed, and can even shorten the time they are in the hospital.

Enhanced productivity
Having plants at work can make you more productive and creative and also less stressed. It may also help you work faster and even reduce the number of sick days you take.

Better attitude about work
Research has found that people who work in offices that have indoor plants are likely to feel happier in their job and feel more connected to the company they work for.

Higher indoor air quality
Scientists have found that the roots and soil of houseplants lowered the amount of airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, it would take quite a few indoor plants to clear the air as much as current air filtrations.