Houseplants and Your Health

Who doesn’t love nature? Spending time outdoors is an integral part of our health and wellness. The sounds, sights, and smells we experience when spending time in nature have a profound and calming effect on our mental and physical health. Nature is alive and continuously moving, changing and growing. In order for us as humans to thrive, we need a  regular interaction with plants, trees, flowers, sunshine, fresh air, and wildlife. Hiking, biking, jogging, and camping are a few ways to spend time in nature, but a beautiful way to bring that experience with nature into our homes is through houseplants. Many studies have been done showing that houseplants improve the quality of our lives in a variety of different ways.

1.)     Houseplants help remove environmental toxins and improve air quality. Houseplants are an excellent way to increase the oxygen in your home. Better air quality means your body does not have to work as hard to filter the air you breathe in order to remove toxins that get into our bodies through our environment. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are released into the air by items in our homes and offices (carpet, paint, furniture, household cleaners, and even personal care products.) Regular exposure to these compounds can cause cancer and other chronic health problems, and can also exacerbate existing health problems such as allergies, asthma, bronchitis, COPD, etc. Houseplants can absorb up to 90% of these household toxins! Just a few houseplants are all it takes to greatly improve the quality of the air we breathe.

2.)     Houseplants relieve stress by adding an element of natural peace and beauty to any environment. Nature is a very serene and calming place to be, and bringing plants inside brings that serene and peaceful aspect into our homes or offices, which in turn increases feelings of relaxation in the body.

3.)     Houseplants can improve sleep; There are several reasons for this but mainly they clean up the air we breathe while we sleep, so our body can relax more deeply as it isn’t having to work to filter the pollutants out of our air and we get more oxygen with less effort from every breath.

4.)     Houseplants can increase productivity; A study by the University of Exeter (https://news-archive.exeter.ac.uk/featurednews/title_409094_en.html) found that productivity could increase as much as 15% when plants were placed in the workplace. The study showed that people tended to work more quickly and efficiently while being more creative with plants in their environment. This is likely due to better air quality which would improve brain function and cognitive ability.

5.)     Houseplants may reduce depression and feelings of anxiety too. A connection to nature has an incredibly powerful impact on our wellness; being surrounded by plants, trees, and wildlife can lift our spirits by fostering a more positive outlook and give us a greater sense of joy, while the constant stimulation to our five senses by nature’s everchanging sounds, smells, textures, temperature changes, and scenery improve our focus and concentration.

Here are some of my favorite houseplants to consider bringing into your home to add some natural beauty to your life:

A.       Snake Plant: Arguably one of the easiest plants to care for, this plant doesn’t require much attention (and actually, probably does better with less.) They have minimal light and water requirements, and remove CO2 and other toxins from the air. They also emit O2 at night, so are great in the bedroom.

B.       English Ivy: This plant is a must as it can purify up to 94% of airborne mold particles! Mold particles trigger allergies for many people, so this plant is a must to help fight the growth of mold. It also does well under artificial light, and actually doesn’t like direct sunlight.

C.      Spider Plant: Great for improving air quality, this hardworking plant removes up to 90% of formaldehyde from the air. These easy keepers don’t require direct sunlight and do like some humidity so work well in bathrooms or kitchens.

D.      Calathea Orbifolia: Another excellent plant to purify the air in your home or office, plus it doesn’t like direct sun so works well on a bookshelf or on a desk away from a sunny window.

E.        Lavender: Yes, lavender makes a great houseplant if it gets direct sunlight (at least 8 hours/day) and has well-draining soil. Wherever you have a sunny window will be perfect- but if you are able to place this gem in your bedroom, even better, as the calming benefits of lavender will improve sleep, soothe anxiety, decrease restlessness, and even help with depression.

If you are new to houseplants, or maybe you are like I was a few years ago and have a black thumb when it comes to plants, I encourage you to give plants a try. Start with one or two that are easy to keep alive, then research and follow the directions for that plant. *Tip: I have found that plants usually need watering less often than the directions recommend, so I started out only watering when the plant started to look “sad”.  (As soon as I noticed that first sign of a slight droop, I soaked the plant thoroughly and placed it in a bowl to drain any excess water; this allows the plant to absorb as much water as it needs, this takes about 1-2 hours) After the plant absorbs what it needs, drain the excess water and leave it alone until the next time it looks sad. Keep track of how often you water and after a few waterings, you will just be able to go by the amount of time it took for that plant to start to droop. I started by keeping a journal for my plants, logging every time I watered them, fertilized them, and where they were located in my house. I monitored their health and adjusted as needed. (I now have about 30 houseplants and still use a journal.)

The joy and satisfaction that comes from nurturing and caring for your houseplants in and of itself will improve the quality of your life and your overall wellness.

Namaste,

Robbie