Having a garden doesn’t just make your house look pretty and provide a steady supply of fresh fruit, herbs, and vegetables for delicious meals. It can also make you feel at peace and happy. Tending to your garden is an act of nurturing and cultivating life. It helps calm the nerves by refocusing your attention and channeling all your stress and frustration into making something gorgeous and joyful.
Check out this guide on how caring for plants can directly or indirectly make you happy and promote overall wellness.
It Helps The Environment And Those Around You
When you help grow a plant, you’re purifying the air and eliminating harmful pollutants. A healthier environment is great for your overall health[1] and can improve your mental health. In addition to improving your environment, studies have shown that helping those around you can also help you find happiness. [2] These are some plants that are fantastic for purifying the air.
Going Outside Improves Your Mental Health
Spending time in nature isn’t just a hobby that you do for selfies. Research has proven that people who go outside into nature more often have better mental health and are generally more positive. Having a positive outlook can help you see the potential in any given situation and deal with any challenges that come your way. When it comes to taking care of plants, there are resources out there to help you prepare for the unexpected. Check out West Coast Gardens’ informative and insightful gardening tips.
Boosts Your Attentiveness and Memory
Did you know that being around plants can improve your memory and attention span by 20% and also strengthen your ability to concentrate? Whether it’s at home or at work, plants can boost your cognitive abilities. Being able to pay attention and remember things can help you not only at your job, but also in your interpersonal relationships. If you feel as if you haven’t been giving your work or your relationships your all because you’ve been too stressed, spending time around plants can help you make sure your memory and attention span are up to speed. You should check out one of West Coast Gardens’ beautiful greenhouses and see which plants work best for your needs. A bonsai is a fantastic option for anyone who is getting into plants because in addition to being pristine and beautiful, it requires a certain level of care and attention that can give your life a consistent sense of structure.
Decrease Stress and Anxiety
Research has shown that people who cultivate plants have less stress in their lives. [3] So, what is the correlation between stress and taking care of plants? It could be that caring for plants can promote feelings of relaxation and comfort while also suppressing sympathetic nervous system activity. However, if you struggle with severe depression or anxiety, talk to your doctor about treatment options or seek out an online psychiatrist for help.
Boosts your Productivity At Work
Studies show that having plants in a working environment can lead to more productive and healthier employees. [4] Throughout the workday, employees who are around plants can increase their attention capacity and decrease their levels of stress. These improvements can lead to feeling more satisfied with your job. Are you having trouble concentrating at work? You should reach out to your coworkers and ask if they would be open to you integrating plants to your workplace. You can decorate your office’s patio and balcony with plants. Tell your coworkers about the expansive opportunities of indoor plants and propose making meals together from all the herbs, fruits, or vegetables you grow together. A new twist on the potluck! Growing plants and cooking delicious meals together is an inclusive activity that can promote a sense of community and fun at work.
Boosts Creativity
We’ve all been there — some days, we try and try to get into work mode, but we are unable to do so because we’re missing that spark. Luckily, plants can help you tap into your creativity and give you the push you need to finish that project. Did you know that people are 15% more creative when they’re surrounded by greenery? [5] A great, affordable option for people who are looking to get more plants are succulents. They don’t require that much care and easily blend into numerous types of furniture.
Plants Can Help You With Your Relationships
Similar to sustaining a long lasting relationship with someone, caring for a plant takes a lot of patience and hardwork. Sometimes your plant may need some more water and sunshine. While other times, it’s best that they are left alone. With the proper guides and templates, you can learn how to take care of a large, expansive garden. For instance, orchids need certain things that cactus plants don’t. At the end of the day, regardless of type, each individual plant requires a high level of care. In our interpersonal relationships, we also have to learn how to be attentive to an individual’s unique needs. Though we should be generally more empathetic, kinder, and patient, different people expect different things. Through taking care of your plant on a daily basis, and learning about how to adjust to changes that are big or small, you can contemplate how those lessons apply to the people in your life.
In addition to teaching you some valuable lessons about patience and care, taking care of your plants can help improve your social and romantic life by giving you something new to talk about. You can foster new bonds with people that share this interest and exchange tips, products, and types of plants to add to your garden.
Taking care of plants not only helps the environment but also can improve your mental health. In addition to helping you decorate a space, they come with numerous mental health benefits. Are you looking to expand your plant family? Check out West Coast Gardens’ diverse selection of plants and see what you should add to your collection.
[1] https://www.lung.org/clean-air
[2] https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/71964/7-scientific-benefits-helping-others
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419447/
[4] https://meridian.allenpress.com/jeh/article/37/1/30/430948/An-Update-of-the-Literature-Supporting-the-Well
[5] https://www.ciphr.com/advice/plants-in-the-office/