A. For instance, are the plants in areas where you spend a lot of time? B. Half the fun of gardening is that you never know exactly what's going to come up. C. It's a feel-good hobby that's supported by science. D. While indoor gardening can boost your feelings of wellbeing, help reduce stress and promote relaxation, it's not, of course, a substitute for a trained men tal health professional. E. The theory is that plant care helps us focus on the present moment and provides a feeling of accomplishment. F. Just one plant can make a difference. |
Keeping a bit of the outdoors inside is nothing new, but houseplant collections have become a popular social media trend --which means that more people than ever are discovering the comfort and beauty that caring for plants brings.
Exposure to greenery, whether you have indoor plants, take walks outside or tend to a garden, has been found to have multiple mental-health benefits, such as lowering stress, decreasing feelings of depression, increasing sociability, restoring focus, improving cognitive performance, improving mood and increasing self-esteem.
"One study showed that patients at a hospital who bad plants in their room reported less pain, lower blood pressure, less fatigue and less anxiety than patients without plants in their rooms, "says Jenny Seham, a New York-based psychologist. She explains:"Cortisol, the stress hormone, has been shown to lower with plant interaction, reducing fatigue, irritability(易怒) and blood pressure. "
Research has also shown that having plants and gardening increase productivity and levels of scrotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for lifting our mood And it is also opposed to dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
Before you fill your space with greenery, consider how you'll interact with your plants Can you care for them daily?
If you have a small space or aren't sure how much time you're willing to inves t in"plant parenting, "start slow " It can engage you by its smell or colour, creating a positive mood response with every interaction, " says Seham.
