It's been widely proven that plants and nature can have a positive impact on mental and physical health, but how exactly do they help?
Read on to find out!
Researchers repeatedly report increases in subjects' mood, fewer incidents of depressive symptoms, as well as increased memory span and decreased symptoms of anxiety after a walk in nature, as compared to a walk through an urban environment.
Spending time in natural settings helps speed up recovery from mental fatigue, slow down heart rate, reduce high blood pressure, and lower anxiety.
Nature walks, and even short visits to parks and woodlands within urban areas, have been found to boost creativity, mood, and sense of vitality.
Students and employees with a view of nature, either indoors or right outside their windows, were not only found to be more productive but also more alert, more attentive, more relaxed, and in better moods than their counterparts who had no views of plant life or other natural settings.
During a series of experiments monitoring common houseplants exposed to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) - a common pollutant - researchers calculated that in some conditions, the plants could be able to reduce NO2 by as much as 20 per cent.
Compared to those who walked through a well-trafficked urban area, participants in several studies who walked through a green space or a natural environment, such as an arboretum, were better able to focus and concentrate on a test of their working memory.
A 2007 study found a bacterium in plant soil called Mycobacterium vaccae that triggers the release of serotonin, which lifts mood and reduces anxiety. Therefore, interaction with indoor or outdoor plants can help alleviate some symptoms of depression and anxiety.
As many struggle with their mental health right now, it's a comfort to know that something as simple as watering and feeding your plants regularly can lift your mood.
