Bringing the outside in by introducing plants to your home, is a great way to not only spruce up your decor but it allows you to reap the benefits of indoor plants and nature.
UK charity the Mental Health Foundation agrees that “Spending time in green and blue spaces, and around nature are strongly associated with improved mental health. As more of us spend more time at home, we aren’t always able to enjoy time outside, and having house plants is one way to bring the green indoors” Chris O’Sullivan, Mental Health Foundation.
Discover all the Benefits of Indoor plants & the Ways your Mental Health Improves
Our founder James started The Stem after battling his own mental health challenges whilst working a stressful banking job in the city. Finding time to connect with nature provided him with a sanctuary, boosting his mental wellbeing. He wanted to start a business that helped others find their own connection with nature by introducing plants to their home.
Below are just some of the ways how having indoor plants can help” with “benefits of indoor plants and how they can help improve our mental wellbeing:
4 Amazing Benefits of Indoor Plants
1. Decrease of Stress & Anxiety
We all lead hectic, busy lives and finding time to get outside with nature can sometimes be challenging. Having greenery inside your home can have a calming effect and even help to reduce stress levels. One 2015 study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that interacting with plants in an indoor setting induces physiological & psychological relaxation.
There is also something extremely rewarding about looking after plants and watching them grow.
2. Increase of Productivity
Co-existing with nature can help us complete tasks with greater accuracy, improve our attention and help us to retain information. An Exeter University study found that employees working in ‘green’ spaces were 15% more productive than their peers working in spaces with no greenery.
Since the majority of us are working from home far more, introducing indoor plants to your work space could be a great way to improve your productivity. Small plants such as an Aloe Vera or Maidenhair Fern would make great desk plants.
Check out our collection of desk plants for more examples.
Maidenhair Fern
Aloe Vera
3. Improved Air Quality
Over 4 million people worldwide die prematurely from indoor air pollution. Although any significant reduction in pollutants would require an international effort, there are things you can do to improve air quality at home. Plants are pretty powerful and amongst other things act as natural air purifiers, removing nasty VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) from the atmosphere. English Ivy, all types of Snake Plant and Heart-Leaf Philodendron are some of the best plants at purifying the air.
Shop our full range of air-purifying indoor plants here.
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Employees working in ‘green’ spaces were 15% more productive than their peers working in spaces with no greenery.
4. Healing Qualities
Probably one of the most interesting benefits of indoor plants and flowers is that they can have healing qualities. Flowers and plants have long been taken to loved ones in hospital, recovering from illness or surgery - and doing so may have healing benefits. One Kansas study found that plants are so effective at helping patients recover from surgery that they recommend them as “noninvasive, inexpensive, and effective complementary medicine for surgical patients.” The study found that viewing plants after surgery reduced blood pressure and lowered levels of pain, anxiety, and fatigue.
The Stem & The Benefits of Indoor Plants
There you have it, four amazing benefits of indoor plants- aren’t plants the best? Mental health holds a special place in the heart of the team at The Stem, and remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel is so important. If you are interested in the history and story of our company, head over to the ‘About Us’ page on our website, which can be found here.
Happiness can stem from plants!
Written by Viki O'Hagan, Head of Marketing