How houseplants can help improve wellbeing

Many of us are spending a lot more time in the home at the moment and time away from friends and family, which can have a big impact on wellbeing. During #HouseplantWeekUK (11th – 17th January) we’ve been looking at how and why houseplants can have such a positive influence on wellbeing in lockdown living.

Our little green-leafed friends are much more than something pretty to look at and have a whole host of health benefits you may not even be aware of. They also make excellent quarantine buddies; you nurture and care for them, and can watch them grow and flourish – an important lesson to ourselves about self-care.

Experts believe that houseplants may help increase productivity, reduce stress levels and improve mood. They help promote a natural environment, which may also have a soothing and lifting effect on our mood (especially with the darker nights upon us) and help buffer the effects of stress and anxiety. Studies have also shown that houseplants can also improve the quality of the air we breathe.

For anxiety look for the snake plant and lavender:

Lavender has long been a plant which has been championed for its stress-relieving qualities. It may help to ease symptoms of anxiety, creating a feeling of overall calm, and can even be used as part of your bedtime ritual as it promotes healthy sleep. Read our blog on Calming Lavender.  The snake plant is also believed to reduce anxiety, improve respiratory problems and cure the symptoms of a headache.

Help purify the air with peace lilies and rubber plant:

Peace lilies and rubber plant houseplants are popular for their air-purifying qualities, with peace lilies believed to improve air quality by as much as 60 per cent. Include these within the home to help cleanse the air and give a sense of peace and relaxation.

Help improve productivity with golden pothos and bamboo palm

If you’re working from home and need a boost of productivity, look to introduce bamboo palm or golden pothos into your home office – simply place the plants beside your PC or laptop, or on the table close to where you work.

If you’ve sent more than your fair share of houseplants off to the plant graveyard, believe it or not, for the not-so-green-fingered amongst us, there are plants you can keep in the home that will withstand weeks of being ignored – hooray! Some of these include, Mother-in-laws-tongue, cactus, ivy and the ZZ plant. But of course, we hope you’ll learn to love and care for your plants every day!

We hope this has inspired you to look further into the power of plants, and introduce some greenery into your home. For more inspiration on plants for your bedroom, check out our blog on bedroom plants which can help you sleep better.