If you clicked on this article because you were wondering how having a plant could possibly be a life hack, I’m glad I caught your attention. Science has shown us time and time again that nature works miracles on mental health, and what I’m about to disclose is no exception. When you increase the number of plants in your life, your life can improve as a result.
Now, it is important to note that plastic succulents from Target and fake vines from Michaels are not going to do the trick here. You’re going to have to invest in an actual plant… A couple real plants, in fact.
I’m not going to tell you that having plants in your life will suddenly make you lose 15 pounds and finally cure you of student loan debt and solve all of your life problems. But, if you experience things like stress, burnout, writer's block, procrastination, brain fog, or just overall feelings of ‘meh’, plants can definitely help you out.
So without further adieu, here are five reasons why plants are the hack you need in your life:
1. Plants can decrease stress and help you relax:
Think of a space where you often feel stressed and hold tension. What does that space look like for you? What tasks are you doing in that space? Wherever it may be, introducing plants into the area can help you decrease your stress levels. A study found that when students worked on an assignment in a computer lab without windows, their blood pressure levels dropped and the students were 15% more productive when the room had plants in it compared to when the room had no plants!
2. Plants can boost your attention span and memory retention:
Though all plants are amazing, some are more supportive than others when it comes to helping you live your best life. Aromatic plants like lavender, rosemary, sage, and eucalyptus can both decrease your stress levels and boost your attention span. An English study found that when participants inhaled the smell of rosemary, their levels of hemoglobin increased by 15%. Hemoglobin allows blood to flow more efficiently to the brain, so a little bit of rosemary can go a long way in helping you stay focused, remember your tasks, and squash your desires to lallygag.
3. Plants can decrease depression and make you happier:
When compared to other activities you might engage in throughout your everyday, urban gardening was found to impact emotional wellbeing in a similar vein as activities like biking or going on a walk! Not only does potting plants and working in a garden feel gratifying, but when you make physical contact with soil, the soil actually has microbes that trigger the release of serotonin (the happiness chemical) in the brain. Still skeptical? Just think about how proud toddlers look when they show their parents a mud pie, or the giddy trot of a dog after it rolls in a big puddle of mud.
4. Plants can increase motivation and creativity:
Stop me if this sounds familiar: Once upon a time, a creative abandoned his 9-to-5 job to go lock himself in a cabin in the middle of the woods for three months so he could focus on finishing an entire album of music. Or wait, maybe he was writing a book? In any case, retreating to the wilderness to unleash creativity is a trope that you’ve probably heard about many creatives pursuing at some point in their lives. Though it is a little cliche, there is a reason why so many people pursue this course of action – being surrounded by the eclectic patterns of plants and the serenity of the woods can stimulate clarity in the brain and get the creative juices flowing for when you’re feeling utterly uninspired.
5. Plants can make you physically healthier:
You may remember studying the relationship between plants and humans in science class – we breathe in oxygen, we breathe out carbon dioxide, and plants do the opposite. Introducing plants into the spaces you occupy boosts oxygen levels in the room. The plants also act as air purifiers for us by taking care of nasty VOC toxins! A win-win!
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