Plants are kind of having a moment right now.
Take one quick scroll through Instagram or Pinterest and you’ll see beautiful interiors covered in leafy vines, hanging plants or exotic succulents that liven up every corner of a room.
There’s a reason why everyone is so obsessed with greenery: Indoor plants improve your mental and physical well-being in ways you probably didn’t even realise!
Ever wonder why you feel like you can breathe easier, sleep better, and simply feel happier in a room full of nature? Read on to discover why...
Breathe Better
Did you know that the air inside your home can actually be worse than the air in the middle of a city?!
This is because pollutants get in, but they find it extremely hard to get out.
Bacteria and viruses stick around the home, leading to a higher chance of illness, airborne dust levels can rise and home appliances and furnishings such as carpets, paint and printers can give off pollutants called volatile organic compounds VOCs.
These pollutants can build up in the air and irritate your eyes and skin, worsen your asthma, or make it hard for you to breathe.
The good news is that houseplants can soak up these VOCs.
Together with your family at home, continued respiration will increase the CO2 levels to above 1000ppm. This contrasts with the outdoors where levels are usually only 400ppm.
Indoor plants in your home take this opportunity to use the extra Co2 for growth and convert it to O2 oxygen and release it back into your home through their leaves. You can think of plant leaves as lungs, breathing in unclean air and releasing fresh clean oxygen.
Extensive research conducted by NASA revealed that plants can remove up to 87% of toxins in the air in just 24 hours!
Feel Better
Being cooped up inside all day with little opportunity to get outside, can wreak havoc on our wellbeing. Bringing greenery into the home not only brightens up your surroundings, but they can deliver a much-needed mood boost and work wonders on our physical and emotional health.
But why is this?
Plants have been used as part of a natural form of therapy for decades due to the powerful association of the colour green with feelings of relaxation and calm. Numerous studies suggest that interacting with nature in some form can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, encourage faster healing and increase overall happiness.
One such study by the University of Essex for mental health charity “Mind” found that 94% of people who exercised in green spaces felt it benefited their mental health!
Around the world, ‘green prescriptions’ are now being issued to patients suffering from poor mental health to dose up with walks in nature or community gardening programmes.
Sleep Better
Getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep per night can be difficult. As soon as our head hit the pillows our minds become busy- thinking about what happened during the day and everything we need to do tomorrow.
Sounding familiar?
Well, you are not alone! In fact, according to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, approximately 51% of adults worldwide are getting less sleep than required.
If you are finding that your sleep is suffering, rather than turning to medication, why not take a natural approach and seek the assistance of the humble houseplant?
Having plants in your bedroom is a great way to make the space feel like a sanctuary, a place where you can escape the stresses of the day. But plants do a lot more than create an oasis-like atmosphere, they purify the air and replenish oxygen.
Studies have shown that house plants like Sansevieria trifasciata (snakeskin plant) release oxygen during the night and increase quality respiration while you sleep. Other outdoor plant foliage like lavender and jasmine have a soothing vapour that can lead to a more restful sleep.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, plants with large leaf surface areas also have the ability to absorb sound and create a sense of tranquillity, making them the perfect addition to busy households!
If you are interested in boosting your health naturally with plants, check out our wide selection available on our online store.
If you enjoyed this blog, why not check out some of our similar posts:
- New to Plant Parenthood? A Beginners Guide to Caring For Your Plants
- The Life-Changing Magic of Plants on Workplace Wellbeing
- 5 Plants For Your Bedroom For Better Sleep
@plantstoreIE
