You might’ve heard it said that gardening (or at least, caring for a couple of desk plants) can have a seriously beneficial effect on your overall mood – but how does that work, exactly? And is there any truth to these claims?
It turns out that yes, studies show that plants (both indoor and outdoor) can relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression, and help you focus, which is particularly great if you’re working from home.
How, though?
Well, it seems regular interaction with plants (e.g. cleaning, sprucing, maintaining, or simply just watering) can relieve anxiety and stress caused by study or work. The study in question found that interaction with plants had the power to suppress autonomous nervous system activity, which left the subjects calmer and more composed even after brief plant interactions.
Moreover, some plants, like orchids, snake plants, and succulents, actually emit oxygen, which can improve the air quality inside your home. This, in turn, can result in better health, improved mood, and a better sleeping schedule. And as we all know, if you’re getting a poor night’s sleep, you’re going to be in a bad mood all day, so the opposite should also be true, right?
Outdoor plants can have a similar effect on your psyche, as they keep you anchored in the present moment, and help you concentrate. Of course, when handling outdoor plants, in particular, you should always be on the lookout for plant-related pests (a common gardening concern). If you’re worried about pests in your garden, we recommend you reach out to pestcontroloh.com.
Pests can really get in the way of gardening, not to mention seriously endanger the overall state of your garden, so you probably don’t want that. However, for some seasoned gardeners, learning how to avoid common plant pests, and protecting their garden is just another aspect of this highly helpful hobby.
Yet another way in which actively engaging with plants can improve your overall mental state is that gardening requires you to interact directly with the soil. This has been shown to have similar calming and mood-boosting effects as spending time in a forest. Surrounding yourself with nature answers an ancestral need for the soil and for a simpler life, and can, in turn improve mental clarity and mood.
The best part of that is, you don’t actually need to be in the middle of the forest to reap these benefits. Just spending some time planting, or caring for your garden (or your indoor plants – those work, too!), can have the same mental and emotional effects.
At the very least, surrounding yourself with plants will provide you with beautiful, appealing visuals, and nice smells, which are bound to act as an instant mood-booster. The more we surround ourselves with lovely things, the happier we’re bound to become, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why you should start your own little private garden.
Interacting with plants isn’t just something to do – it’s active therapy!
