Join the J.C. Hart Team! Click here to see our current job openings.
A J.C. Hart Apartment Community in Fishers, IN
 

Houseplants Equal Improved Mental Health & Wellness

April 15, 2019

Houseplants near a couch

Plants are very important. It’s no secret plants are an essential part of our survival. Everything: food, buildings, medicine, oh and the process of taking carbon dioxide and transforming it into co2. It will come as no surprise then, recent studies highlight that household plants have a direct impact on our mental health.

There are many reasons why indoor plants might improve our mental health, and an unmistakable reason is they’re better to smell and look at. Wallpaper and carpet have a hard time competing with living things and active colors. A recent study supports this notion in its report that there is a direct correlation between the amount of care required to keep a houseplant alive and the positive psychological effect it had in the caretaker. We learn from the research, those who have extended periods of time around plants tend to have better relationships with friends & family and accordingly experience increased levels of happiness.

best houseplants in apartment homes 

Plants Help People, Help People

Additional research found that flowering plants provide elevated levels of happiness and therefore, placing flowering houseplants around the apartment and ay work is likely to significantly lower stress levels. Science is science. Studies have shown that people who are around more plants are significantly more likely to try and help others, and usually have more advanced social relationships. People who care for plants are more likely to care for others, reaching out to their peers and forming shared bonds out of their shared interests.

Plants Help Reduce Stress 

Natural aesthetic beauty is known to have a soothing effect, and having ornamental flowering plants around the home is an awesome way to lower stress and anxiety. As a result of the positive energy derived from a home that has plants in it, the likeliness of suffering from stress-caused depression is lessened as well. Study after study supports that by having plants in your house, you improve your mental health by activating peace and open spaces to your brain.

Houseplants Help You Remember Your To-Do List

Having ornamental houseplants in the office boosts memory retention and concentration. How? The calming influence of natural environments increases a person’s ability to fixate on the task at hand. Going outside with nature or being around plants inside your home can boost memory retention as much as twenty percent, a recent University of Michigan study concluded (Sewach).

Convinced? Great. Here are some examples of ideas for great plants to have in your apartment:

best plants for your house

Spider Plant

Spider plants are a very popular indoor botanicals, and your kids are going to like them because it has a cool name, spider plant They’re extremely easy to maintain, and spider plants are impressively great at absorbing mold and allergens from the air and are great options to use in parts of the house that are prone to dampness: laundry room and bathrooms. Spider plants are mainly easy to care for, too. Offer them with bright, indirect light and they will flourish. Water your spider plant well but do not overwater, which can lead to root rot. Good for the occasionally forgetful, spider plants prefer to dry out a bit between waterings.

Snake Plant

A study of CO2 conversion in plants by Harvard University discovered that the snake plant is one of the greatest oxygen-producing plants. For those interested, ficus and pothos are two other plants on the list. One of the most important snake plant health benefits is it can make small and ongoing contribution to get rid of toxic air pollutants. Other than CO2, snake plant's can absorb benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene; all of which are cancer-causing pollutants. The snake plant is one of the easiest to care for plants out there as it can go weeks of being forgotten without losing neither shape nor vibrant look. It can thrive in environments with limited light and water. 

Notice anything with our two houseplants? If you have kids, we’re trying to help it easier to get them excited! Who gets Spider and who gets Snake?