In the last couple of years, research into the psychological benefits of nature has exploded and found that spending time among the trees can reduce stress, increase creativity and make us feel happier.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of us live in urban areas and spend most of our time in our offices, homes, and surrounded by concrete roads and buildings.  However, we can create our own mini greenspaces and bring those benefits to us with the use of a couple of houseplants. They do wonders for our mental and physical health. Here’s why you should consider bringing a bit of greenery into your home. 

 Reduced Stress 

Recent studies have shown that nature, and plants in particular, help us to feel relaxed and relieve stress.  Evidence has found that spending time around plants actually physically lowers the amount of stress that your body is carrying by lowering your blood pressure and suppressing sympathetic (arousal) nervous system activity.  These physiological responses are correlated to psychological feelings of decreased anxiety, and increased feelings of calmness and relaxation.  Additionally, green is considered to be the most soothing color, and found abundantly on almost any plant.  

Houseplants give you a slice of nature indoors. Especially if you live in a city with limited green spaces, having some plants at home can make a huge difference. Research has found that even small interactions (one or two small plants or as little as 20 minutes) with nature can boost your mood and reduce feelings of depression and anxiety . 

 Increased Dopamine 

Most of us have heard of dopamine, the neurotransmitter in our brain that’s often referred to as the “feel good chemical”.  While dopamine is involved in a number of brain functions, it can very much affect our mental health. In particular, dopamine is responsible for our feeling of reward.  Dopamine gets triggered by a substance or behavior, and the release of this chemical makes us feel good and more likely to repeat that behavior.   

Because plants are living things, when we take care of them we can actual see our efforts paying off as the plant grows.  This can also increase our levels of dopamine which helps us to experience positive emotions, and provides a sense of accomplishment or fulfillment.  

Increased Mindfulness       

Houseplants need regular care and attention, which can give you an easy way to practice mindfulness without even thinking about it too much. Simple tasks like watering, pruning, and repotting your plants help you stay present and focused on the moment. These small acts of care can be meditative, helping you to calm your mind and increase your ability to live mindfully over time, which is correlated to increased feelings of happiness and well-being. 

Caring for plants can also put you in a state of flow, where you become fully absorbed in what you’re doing. This flow state is excellent for your mental health, promoting concentration and decreasing rumination. 

Life Lessons to be Learned from Plants 

Plants, like all living things, have their struggles. They might deal with pests, diseases, or changes in their environment, mirroring the ups and downs of life.  Noticing your plant has a problem can engage you both in learning something new and increasing your problem solving abilities by trying to learn about the plant and what change it may need to be healthier.  

Additionally, a houseplant that has gone through a little bit of struggle can help show us how to accept imperfections, about the plant, ourselves, or life. Through this acceptance we can also see from our plants how to be resilient, and keep growing even when things aren’t exactly the way we want them to be.  Seeing your plants overcome challenges can inspire you to do the same, reminding you that growth often comes through overcoming obstacles. 

Whether you’re a full-time working parent, an overloaded student, or simply working on defining the next chapter of your life, finding intentional time to be outside between daily events can prove challenging. In the US, the average person spends 87% of their time in enclosed buildings and another 6% in vehicles, leaving a measly 7% of outdoors time (Student Conservation Association, 2017). 7% of our outdoors time is unfortunately mostly composed of short-lived transitions between vehicles and buildings. Furthermore, following the COVID-19 pandemic, many once office-based workers have transitioned into remote positions; increasing the percentage of indoor time as travel to-and-from work decreases. Currently, 66% of Americans work from home at least part-time, and it’s projected that by the year 2025, 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely full-time (Flynn,2023). With this in mind, how do we fit in time to be outdoors with such busy schedules? Why even bother?

Give Yourself a Boost

If you feel unfocused, fatigued, or stuck, it may stem from a lack of movement and intentional time outside! Spending time outside daily improves our body and mind’s stress recovery, and refreshes us so we may have longer attention spans (Avitt, 2021). You can start improving your wellbeing without outdoors time at any point, however, it has been found that the earlier you begin getting yourself outside the better. Researchers in Denmark conducted a study on 900,000 children ranging from birth to the age of 10 years old. After 18 years of conducting this study, the researchers found that children who were less exposed to time outside in green spaces were 55% more likely to develop mental health strife in adulthood than those who grew up frequently spending time outdoors (Weir, 2020).

Relational Improvement

Spending times outdoors also has the power to better our relationships. Spending time outdoors has been correlated with increased empathy and bonding with others. In a study where green initiatives were implemented in neighborhoods, the residents reported not only having a 41% decrease in depression, but a change in interactions with their neighbors as well (Avitt, 2021). The residents stated there was an increase in positive interactions between them and their neighbors as compared to their interactions prior to the green initiative. Wilderness couple’s therapist Jeff Adorador has found that spending routine time outside with your significant other can prompt stronger cooperation, intimacy and communication within your relationship ( Kwak-Hefferan, 2023).

Furthermore, the outdoors can also improve connectivity for those who are sometimes overstimulated by the task of connecting with other people. Environmental psychologist Matthew White, in a study of people who experience social anxiety, found that one’s desire to connect could be quelled by spending time outdoors (Wier, 2020). White explained, “There are people who don’t necessarily want to spend their time with others, but they feel connected to the natural environment, and that can enhance their well-being.”

How and Where

As psychologists, social workers, environmentalists, and sociologist continue to study the correlation between human health and the outdoors, there’s no set-in-stone recommendation on how often one needs to be outside to reap wholistic benefits to their health and wellbeing. While experts have found the greener (fauna and flora) and bluer (marine spaces) spaces are the higher quality environments for mental restoration (Wier,2020), it has also been proven that increasing your outdoor time, in even in urban spaces, brings more mental stability (Student Conservation Association, 2017). People who increased their time outside by 2 hours a week, whether consecutively or spread out, felt an increase in wellness and motivation (Avitt,2021). Begin forming the habit of being outside by scheduling just 20 minutes every day. Other ways to motivate yourself to get outside hours include: joining a hiking group, designing a more thorough walking schedule for you and your furry friends, signing up for a community gardening project, going on walking dates with friends, planning date nights as a bike ride to a restaurant nearby, or planning some of your weekend meals as picnics!

References

Avitt, A. (2021, March 24). The wellness benefits of the great outdoors. US Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/wellness-benefits-great-outdoors#:~:text=There%20are%20many%20mental%20wellness.

Kwak-Hefferan, E. (2023, April 6). How Time in Nature Can Improve Your Relationship. Outside Online. https://www.outsideonline.com/health/wellness/nature-time-relationship/.

Student Conservation Association. (2017, December 11). How Going Outside Improves Our Mood and Health Even in Winter. Student Conservation Association. https://www.thesca.org/connect/blog/how-going-outside-improves-our-mood-and-health-even-winter/?gclid=CjwKCAjw-b-kBhB-EiwA4fvKrCwFZ22WaNodVUmcyJMrWsNXwWE4YSW2jOzgMAx1o6cX9CaYURKhdRoCBE4QAvD_BwE.

Weir, K. (2020, April 1). Nurtured by nature. American Psychological Association, 51(3). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature.