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7 Ways Flowers Improve Your Wellbeing

Imagine a sun-speckled garden, gnarled roots of shady trees, and meandering pathways amidst the beds blooming with flowers – a fairytale garden!

Even just thinking of a scenario like this has the power to positively impact our emotional wellbeing. We begin to feel calm and relaxed when we’re surrounded by nature.

That feeling is backed by research, too. In a study conducted by Park and Mattson, it was inferred that plants in hospital rooms had therapeutic influences on patients.

Their anxiety levels were lower, they had low systolic pressure and pulse rates, and they had a more positive demeanor than patients without flowers and plants.

This discovery isn’t limited to hospital just rooms. Further research also indicates that flowers in dining spaces put people in good moods as well. Based on this research, it’s clear that keeping flowers indoors are great for our wellbeing. Not that you’d need to convince us!

Our lives can be stressful and those challenges impact people in many ways. Just having flowers and plants around you is an act of self-care in itself. You’re taking a step to improve your wellbeing.

By bringing them into our lives, we open ourselves up to a positive influence, calm, and relaxation.

Here are seven ways that flowers have a positive impact on our wellbeing:

1. They improve your mood (and also your health).

As previous stated, doctors have found that their patients are in better spirits when they have floral plants in their rooms.

Such patients needed less medication for post-operative issues, and had lower pulse rates and systolic readings. They were also more positive and less fatigued than their counterparts who did not have plants in their rooms.

2. They help you think more clearly.

Researchers found that employees have better cognitive performance when they have plants at their workstations. Their creativity is also increased and their brains tick faster, making them better at problem solving, when they were near fresh flowers and plants.

Because we spend so much time at work, keeping plants around is a simple thing to do to help reduce your stress levels.

As an added bonus, flowers can stay fresh indoors for a long time if the air is humid. Offices often have humidifiers to maintain the quality of air and create ambient atmosphere for the indoor plants. 

3. Their fragrance can help with anxiety.

Sometimes, it may not be possible to have plants where you live or in the room you occupy. In these situations, try infusing floral fragrances in the air helps to reduce your anxiety and encourage a good mood.

It works for students, too. Fill your study space with a floral fragrance to promote a sense of calm as you learn material and prepare for exams.

4. Their colors help you feel relaxed and calm.

If you’re wandering through a park or garden, the variety of colors triggers a range of emotions.

You can bring this effect into your indoor space by sprinkling flowers and plants around your room. For instance, orange flowers promote happiness and joy; yellow represents compassion and respect; pink is the color of friendship; and greenery is synonymous with harmony and good fortune.

Many people are drawn to gardening as a hobby because it allows them to escape from the hustle and bustle of the world. It reminds us that, “Nature doesn’t hurry and yet everything is accomplished.” 

Thinking this way can keep us from feeling stressed about deadlines, bills, and life worries.

5. Tending to flowers gives us a sense of responsibility and a self-esteem boost.

Nurturing a plant and keeping it alive is great self-esteem boost because, as it turns out, you don’t have a black thumb after all!

Even a small patch of flower bed that you can call your own gives you a sense of responsibility. When a new bud comes up, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment as you’re nourishing new growth. That’s enough to make you feel positive and respect all forms of life!

6. We learn to live in the here and now.

Gardens are traditionally a place of calm and revitalization. When you’re surrounded by plants and flowers, this encourages your to be aware of all of your senses.

Embracing the present moment can help reduce our anxiety levels and let go of the negativity and stress we’ve been holding onto, even unconsciously. 

7. They simply make you happy.

In fact, spending a few hours in the company of flowers is a form of exercise in itself. What’s engaging for the body is equally so for the mind. The happiness that this pursuit gives you helps release the feel happy hormones–serotonin and dopamine, while the stress hormone, cortisol, reduces.

The one overwhelming reason for us to be surrounded by flowers is, of course, their innate beauty.

However, there are plenty of other beneficial reasons to surround yourself with flowers as often as possible. Their impact on our mental and physical health is truly wonderful and shouldn’t be overlooked!