The Power of Plants
The secrets of life are often revealed through the small details…
If you find yourself inside more for the next few months, there are ways to bring the outside indoors. We know the benefits of being in nature, walking in natural sunlight, hearing actual bird sounds, and breathing in ocean air, and we now know how powerful plants are to have in and around our day-to-day environment.
According to Dr. Richard Firshein, Surgeon General (of Montauk), our well-being and health gets a boost when we are hosting indoor plants. “They may reduce stress (if they stay alive), they look great (if they are alive), and they may increase oxygen and reduce toxins,” says Firshein.
While they are trendy and aesthetically pleasing, plants like the Fiddle Leaf Fig are instrumental in creating an environment of calm, potentially lowering the risk for psychological and physiological stress. Even looking at a real plant like an orchid versus an artificial one can sharpen your memory, attention and mindfulness, something plastic replicas cannot produce. Especially in the winter when day light and time outdoors are limited, we can look to plants to brighten our moods, and reduce anxiety. Even the task of taking care of plants can be therapeutic.
Recovering from surgery or an illness? Plants and flowers are not just a welcomed ‘get better’ gift. Having greenery around can lessen the need for as much medication, and shorten time to recuperate and recover from an internal or external injury. Research links a connection to our tendency to take deeper breaths in the presence of real-live plants in our environment to an inner state of calm. Creatives also credit live plants to boosting their innovative ideas and increasing productivity, having a plant nearby as a reminder of the natural elements and the bigger picture around us.
We have always looked to indoor plants for more technical qualities like cleaning our air, something NASA discovered with studies that showed Airborne Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) were greatly lowered by roots and soil of plants placed in spaces where we breathe.
Plants make us happy and are beautiful to look at, have you ever heard of someone getting angry after looking at a plant or found one to be ugly? (Maybe that person needs more nature and plants in their environment). Add some greenery around your home and see what happens, you may find yourself calmer, more aware and breathing deeper.
