The Health Benefits of Indoor Plants
Happiness & Mental Well-being
Do you remember the last vacation you took? Maybe it was a warm, sunny beach. The sound of waves crashing in your ears. The feeling of soft sand under your feet. Or maybe you were in a dense forest. The sound of birds singing and the crunching of twigs as you hiked. Being out in nature when we spend most of our lives indoors is rejuvenating. However, it can sometimes be hard to get away from the city. The COVID-19 pandemic made it even more difficult to get out and increased feelings of isolation for most of us. Keeping plants in your home can help you feel more like you do when you're outside. This study published in Environmental Research found that indoor plants boosted the mental health of participants. It also made them feel like they were away, despite spending an average of 20 hours a day at home during the height of the pandemic. Fill your home with plants and upgrade your staycation as well as your mental health!
The Air We Breathe
When thinking of the health benefits of indoor plants, the one that comes to mind immediately for most is improved air quality. The impact that indoor plants have on air quality has long been debated. There's no doubt that they do in fact remove air pollutants. The debate however, goes on over the extent that they are able to do this. A 1989 NASA study found that in a small, controlled environment plants are highly effective at removing harmful pollutants from the air. Our homes are larger and a bit more complex than the chamber in which this study was conducted, however, and more research is needed in this area.
Live in a dry, arid climate? This Kansas State study found that plants can improve humidity levels indoors. If you live in a very dry climate indoor plants can benefit your health as air that is too dry can worsen respiratory issues. Try adding a few jade or spider plants to your home for some extra moisture. (Spider plants did well in the previously mentioned NASA study too!)
Healing & Pain Tolerance
Certain plants have healing properties that are well-known and documented such as the aloe plant. It is essentially nature's first aid kit. (Read more about the benefits of the aloe). Perhaps a lesser-known health benefit of indoor plants is that they have been shown to improve recovery outcomes even for those undergoing serious surgeries. Plants in hospital settings play an important role in health outcomes. In 1993 it was found that heart surgery patients who were exposed to scenes of plants moved on from narcotic pain drugs to moderate analgesics faster than those who weren't. Other patients who were provided with a view of plants had fewer complications when recovering from gallbladder surgery than those who did not have a view of nature. The bottom line seems to be that plants in hospital settings whether indoor or outside greatly increase favorable outcomes for patients. Read more findings and check out the studies outlined here.
Plants are not only beautiful decorations that liven up our homes. They also enliven us. These are just a few of the health benefits of indoor plants. Get some plants for your home and enjoy the beauty and life that they impart.