7 Psychological Benefits Of Having Plants
Having plants and taking care of them, watering them, sowing seeds … all these practices could bring us well-being. In this article, we talk about the 7 psychological benefits of having plants.
As we will see, having plants can bring us calm, it can help to hold children responsible because we give them a task to do (and a living being to take care of), it can promote our self-esteem, etc.
But why? And, what other psychological benefits of having plants do we find? We talk about it!
7 psychological benefits of having plants
Having plants can give life to our home and, in addition, they can make us feel good. They are living beings that must be cared for, and their care can bring us great benefits on a psychological level. Let’s get to know some of them.
They promote calm
A study by researchers from Korea National Chungnam University in 2015 claims that plants can help calm people by suppressing the sympathetic nervous system. In the study, two conditions were proposed; in one of them, participants completed a computer task, and in the other, they transplanted a plant.
The psychological and physiological effects on these two tasks were measured, and the researchers found that the men who had transplanted the plant were much calmer after the said task compared to those who had performed the computer task.
Relieve tensions
It is not the fact of having a plant that relieves us of tension, but the fact of taking care of it and watering it. Thus, these moments of caring for the plant help us to escape and relieve the tension accumulated during the day. This can be really relaxing and a key element in fighting stress, anxiety, or depression.
They keep us company
Another of the psychological benefits of having plants is that they can keep us company. Logically, it is not a company equal to that of a pet or a person, but it can have a positive psychological impact on our well-being. Thus, plants are actually more than just a decorative element ; They have life, we see them grow day by day and they can even evoke happy memories.
They strengthen our self-esteem
Although it sounds a bit strange, the truth is that yes, another of the psychological benefits of having plants is that they can help us strengthen our self-esteem. Seeing plants grow and flourish gives us personal satisfaction, and it is also the result of the care and dedication we have dedicated to them.
In a way, this can make us feel good, feel fulfilled, which improves our self-esteem.
They organize our mind
Plants can also be beneficial to our mental order. Organizing daily routines around your care can be a way to learn to put order in our weekly schedule, for example. Thus, in a way, we prioritize those essential activities over those that are not so essential.
Improve mood
Having plants, whether on the terrace, balcony, garden or indoors, can improve our mood: why? Because they give life to the floor and, in addition, spending time with them in the sunlight increases our levels of endorphins. This leads to a feeling of well-being and improved mood.
They help to socialize
If we share the love for plants with friends, this practice (taking care of them, watering them, planting them …) can help us to socialize (also with people we do not know).
Exchanging seeds or cuttings, asking for advice, teaching how to transplant … these are some practices that we can share with other people.
They help us to disconnect
Spending a few minutes a day watering the plants, watching them grow, even taking pictures of them, can be our little moment of disconnection every day. The fact of sowing, pruning, removing dry leaves … are also practices that require attention, which implies spending time away from everyday problems.
They hold the little ones responsible
The truth is that having a plant and taking care of it so that it does not die and so that it grows and flourishes, is a responsibility. We can take advantage of these practices (sowing, pruning, watering …) to hold the smallest of the house responsible.
Choose your plants
Having plants in the home, whether on the balcony or terrace or in the living room, can give a lot of life and color to our room. There are plants of all kinds in terms of size, shape, color, characteristics, irrigation needs …
Choosing the ones that we like the most and the ones that we can really take care of (we can always have cacti!), Will help us personalize our home even more. In addition, as we have seen throughout the article, having plants at home and taking care of them on a daily basis can promote our psychological well-being and our emotional health.
