Indoor plants are great for many reasons; they can completely change how a space looks, bringing the outside in and enhancing the aesthetics of your home. In addition, there are certain health benefits of growing plants indoors, whether you’re growing beautiful flowers, green plants or fruits and vegetables that you can consume. In this article, we take a look at some of the health benefits of growing indoor plants.
Air quality
The quality of the air in your home can impact how well you sleep and breathe and, ultimately, many areas of your health. It's important that you live with good air quality in your home; one way to improve the air quality is to get some indoor plants. Indoor plants will naturally absorb toxins in the air and release oxygen to improve the air quality of your home. When the air is healthier in your home, you may find allergies are reduced, and you have a better overall quality of life.
Mental well-being
Stress is something that many people struggle with, especially with the high demands of modern-day life. Being around plants and nature is known to help relieve stress and help with feelings of calm and relaxation. It won’t necessarily solve the issues causing your stress, but indoor plants can be used as a mood booster and a way to cope with high-stress situations. If you struggle to relax at home and often feel on edge at the end of the day, try adding plants to your space as part of your stress management.
Regulate room humidity
In the winter months, the air can become very dry, lacking the humidity needed to stop your skin and eyes from suffering. Plants are useful in this regard as they naturally add moisture to the air, helping to regulate the humidity of your indoor environment. You might find keeping plants inside helps with dry skin and other issues related to low-humidity environments. Some people choose an electric humidifier, but if your need for humidity is low, a few plants can solve the problem, plus you’ll have all the other great benefits that come with growing plants indoors.
Inviting atmosphere for guests
When your home is inviting and pleasant, guests are more likely to visit regularly, which can improve your social life; a better social circle has many health and well-being benefits. If you’re worried about pests in your plants, you can use a growing medium such as coco soil or grow plants hydroponically in water. Both of these options minimise the number of pests in your plants, ensuring that you provide a welcoming environment in your home for your guests.
Focus and attention span
Research shows that having plants indoors where people work or study can have a positive effect on their focus and attention span. If you work or study from home, adding plants to your workspace could positively impact how much you’re able to achieve. Try adding a plant to your desk space; you may find it helps you find the clarity needed to stay focused to get through your long list of tasks or that study material you’ve been finding challenging.
Immune system benefits
Plants can even help to strengthen your immune system, helping you to fight off illnesses that you may come into contact with. Being struck down with a common cold or regular infection can be very frustrating; you may need to take time off work to recover from the illness. Plants can help speed up your recovery time and increase the number of cells in your body that attack infections.
There are so many ways that growing plants indoors are beneficial to your health; this article has only covered a few of these. Creating a better environment at home with plants can improve your health and well-being, so visit a garden centre or browse online for indoor plants you'd like to grow. Most garden centres will have experts that will be able to advise you on plants that are suitable for your living space and your knowledge. It’s a good idea to consider how easy it is to grow certain types of plants; beginners may be best sticking with something that’s easy to care for and working their way up to plants with more complex needs.