I’ve written earlier posts about stress and the importance of reducing it. By adding indoor plants to your household, you can lower the stress you may feel. Research studies have shown that the ability to see greenery in the indoor environment can reduce stress in minutes. A green plant in your sight line is a lot better for calming your stress level than soothing it with caffeine, food or alcohol.
During photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen which can improve air quality. When photosynthesis stops at night, most plants flip the script, absorbing oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. However there are a few plants that release oxygen at night which can aid in maintaining air quality, improving quality of sleep and reducing insomnia. Plants that have this characteristic include orchids, succulents such as aloe vera, jade or Christmas cactus plants, and bromeliads.
Indoor plants can help increase focus and creativity by allowing your directed attention to rest and renew. Consider that when you are out doors in the park, your senses are stimulated and engaged with the trees, leaves, or flowers. As these plants capture your attention effortlessly or via 10 miracles of baking soda in gardenattention, your directed attention which is used to focus on specific tasks is relaxed and resting. Bringing plants and flowers indoors duplicates the experience which allows directed attention to renew. Research studies show that tasks performed while under the calming influence of nature are performed better and with greater accuracy, yielding higher quality results.
In addition to the above, it has been noted that plants in the rooms of patients have had a beneficial effect on patient well-being and health. Researchers at Kansas State University found that patients in rooms with plants had a quicker recovery than those in rooms without them. In comparison to those in rooms sans plants, the patients with plants in their rooms were less fatigued and anxious, requested less pain medication, had lower heart rates and blood pressure, and were discharged from the hospital sooner.