The rise of Instagram design culture may have already convinced you to invest in a succulent (or ten).
Good news: Plants aren’t just good for staging photos against white-washed walls.
In fact, there’s evidence they can make you and your family healthier and happier. And what could be easier? A health intervention that just requires a slightly sunny window position and occasional water? It’s certainly much easier than taking care of a puppy.
Check out these smart reasons to start greening up your home and office spaces, now.
3 Powerful Benefits of Plants
(Photo: Mark Solarski via Unsplash)
1. They may help you breathe
Humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Plants (at a very basic level) take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Many experts, then, say having house plants will provide extra indoor oxygen, so that you can breathe more deeply (but the extent of this effect is debated).
Researchers at NASA also published a famous study that showed plants are incredibly effective at removing dangerous carcinogens called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. Since the study was done in a tightly sealed environment, experts since have questioned how the results may be different in an average home, where air circulates in and out regularly. Still, why not place a few pretty pots near your meditation pillow for those breathing sequences?
RELATED: 5 Ways to Design Your Bedroom for Better Sleep
(Photo: Death to the Stock Photo)
2. They’ll make you happier
The evidence on this point is pretty clear (and you know this intuitively, for sure): exposure to nature tends to make people happy. One study found people who lived in greener neighborhoods were less depressed, stressed, and anxious. Another found that even short visits to parks and forests provided significant stress-relief. Most of the research has looked at getting outside for your nature fix. But how about bringing the outdoors in?
RELATED: 6 Mood-Boosting Foods for More Happiness
(Photo: Brooke Lark via Unsplash)
3. They’ll make you more productive
Science has also shown you may be better at your job if you’ve got a desk succulent. In one study, workers’ productivity increased 15 percent after their plant-less office went green. The researcher suggested that the change was due to the fact that plants communicate to workers that employers care about them and their wellbeing.
So if you care about yourself and are inspired by self-love (yes!), buy yourself a potted palm.
(Featured Photo: Brina Blum via Unsplash)