You might be interested in houseplants because they’re beautiful, and honestly, that’s reason enough to keep them around. But did you know about the physical and mental health benefits of houseplants?
Houseplants aren’t just a pretty face!
Plants have been shown to improve air quality and have a positive effect on mental health.
NASA has done tons of studies on indoor plants in order to study which plants provide the most oxygen and best air quality for space travel projects. But recently Wagenigan University conducted studies on the effects of houseplants on office employees.
Let’s look at some of their findings and how that can apply to you and your home.
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What does this study mean for houseplants in your home? | Benefits of Houseplants
1. Better mood
Beauty is good for your mind! Looking at plants in your home or workplace can improve your mood and lessen worry and anxiety, which is a huge win! Most employees in this study reported a better mood after plants were introduced to their work area.
2. Better health
One unexpected result of this study was that employees took 20% fewer sick days than usual over the course of the study. It’s unclear whether this is because of improved air quality and humidity, improved mental health, or another factor, but it can only be a good thing!
3. Better air
Houseplants have been shown to also boost humidity in an indoor space, which is much nicer on your skin and respiratory system.
In this experiment, the humidity of the rooms containing plants went up 5%. And in the winter, when air tends to be more dry (do you struggle with dry skin in the winter? Listen up!), interior humidity went up by 17%!
Humidity might not sound pleasant, but offices tend to be overly dry due to intense climate control, so the presence of plants makes a huge difference!
If you live in a dry area, try adding a few plants to increase the humidity of your home slightly.
4. Improved comfort
Another interesting finding was that office occupants perceived the temperature to be more comfortable.
Now, the plants didn’t actually change the temperature, and no one adjusted the thermostat during this study. People just felt more comfortable and didn’t feel overly hot or cold. They just felt better.
Wild, right?
How to get started
Having houseplants around could improve your mood, boost humidity to a more comfortable level, and even have positive effects on your health. So why not add a few to your environment to experiment?
If you haven’t taken care of plants before and are nervous about jumping in, spider plants are a great place to start. They’re gorgeous, easy to care for, and great for cleaning the air in your home.
You can also Google “great plants for beginner.” Who knows, someday you might even be ready for a fiddle leaf fig!
Since your plants are making you healthier, make sure to keep them healthy!
Houseplant Essentials:
- Your plants need the right nutrients! Our Indoor Plant Food works perfectly for almost all indoor plants, and it’s easy to use. Grab it here!
- Use our premium well-draining potting soil for your houseplant.
- Protect your houseplant from insects, bacteria, and fungus with our Houseplant Leaf Armor. (As an added bonus, the Leaf Armor also cleans and adds shine to your houseplant’s leaves!)
- Use a moisture meter like this one to always know how thirsty your plant is.
To learn more:
- Join us for our free Top Secrets From Fiddle Leaf Fig Growers Webinar or enroll in our free Advanced Fiddle Leaf Fig Care Course.
- Read The Fiddle Leaf Fig Expert, your complete guide to growing healthy fiddle leaf fig plants. The book is available in full-color paperback or Kindle edition on Amazon now!
- Click to join our community on Facebook: Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Resource Group.
