9 Best Indoor Plants To Improve Your Wellbeing
Did you know that keeping houseplants in your home or office has been linked with many health benefits? Scroll down to learn about such houseplants.
04/10/2022
Houseplants are a fantastic choice for
decorating homes and office spaces, or any
indoor space for that matter. Houseplants have a
beautiful way of transforming a place and
bringing so much life into it. However, they do
need additional care and maintenance. Otherwise,
you may soon have to replace them or get rid of
them.
To add the green factor to your
indoor interior, you may want to rethink whether
you can fulfill their maintenance needs or not.
Moreover, did you know that indoor plants have
fantastic health benefits? Amazing right? Let’s
look at a list of houseplants that may improve
the quality of your life and well-being.
The Link Between Houseplants and Quality of Life
Surrounding yourself with indoor and
outdoor plants is therapeutic and genuinely
healing. Plants are a treat for the eyes, plus
caring for and nurturing them to maintain their
beauty is a definite stress reliever.
So
how does the beauty of plants improve the
quality of our lives? Simply put, looking at
something beautiful and soothing boosts
neurotransmitters such as serotonin and
dopamine.
Living near plants primes you
to feel good. Besides being visually beautiful,
plants offer other health benefits as well.
Houseplants mentioned below are amazing for
instant mood uplifts, stress management, and
improved sleep patterns. Some are even known to
improve concentration and build focus.
Some studies have also linked houseplants to
long-term health benefits such as treating
migraines, headaches, and skin problems. Let’s
look at how houseplants can improve the quality
of life.
Which Houseplants Are Best For Your Health?
The main source of maintaining
good health and wellness is having a balanced
diet and active lifestyle. But your environment
and surrounding also contribute to your everyday
health as well. The best part is you can make
little changes, such as adding houseplants to
your indoor spaces, not just for decoration
purposes but also to improve the air quality of
your environment.
An office space or
home is prone to poor quality air due to many
external factors affecting our health in the
long term. So, we suggest you consider adding
houseplants to your personal space and see the
difference yourself.
Did you know that
certain indoor plants improve your mood, sleep
quality, stress levels, and breathing
temperaments? But if you look at it on the
surface, they seem to have no contribution other
than beautifying the place.
Let’s look
at a list of plants that have health benefits
and are easy to care for.
1. Aloe Vera
According to
Wraxly, sales of indoor
plants boomed massively during covid-19 in the
UK, and for the right reasons. At the top of our
list is aloe vera, a magical plant with
unlimited health benefits. Sunburns? Skin
irritation? Turn to the ultimate nature’s answer
- aloe vera.
This plant and its benefits
were discovered thousands of years ago. Aloe
vera is a natural remedy to treat skin problems
and other internal health issues. You can also
reap additional benefits of aloe vera by keeping
the actual plant pot in your home. Another
benefit many people are unaware of is aloe vera
purifies the air. Like any air purifier, it
absorbs airborne particles from your
surroundings, such as paint, cleaning products,
and many chemicals we use regularly. So having a
growing
aloe vera plant in your home is
definitely a good idea.
2. Orchid
Orchids symbolize beauty. They are very pretty
looking exotic flowers that can be grown indoors
in your living area. Apart from being
aesthetically pleasing, orchids offer health
benefits too. They help to improve sleep
patterns and boost calmness and peace.
Did you know dried orchids are traditional
remedies to overcome tiredness and improve the
immune system?
Orchids are a great
choice for anyone looking to add a houseplant
for improved quality of life.
3. Rosemary
Rosemary is another herb that is popularly used
as a culinary herb. This herb offers a lot more
than flavors; it can improve concentration and
focus. Rosemary plants are known to be powerful
for this very reason. Its healing properties and
beauty make it an ideal houseplant for many
indoor plant enthusiasts.
Research
suggested that smelling rosemary plants can
increase memory power and concentration levels,
making it an ideal plant for your office or
workplace.
4. Pothos
Pothos, known as
golden pothos or devil’s ivy, has leaves that
look like a shape of a heart and usually have
three shades of green. They are super easy to
maintain, only demanding to be under direct
sunlight. So, pothos should be placed next to a
window.
Pothos can reduce indoor ozone
levels, making it easy for people to breathe
cleaner air indoors. As a result, the houseplant
owners with pothos at home also have reduced
respiratory disease risks.
5. English Ivy
Hedera helix, or English Ivy, is not so commonly
spotted but is known to have properties that
reduce carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and other
toxins in the air. English ivy can be grown both
indoors and outdoors.
If you place them
indoors as a houseplant, make sure you hang them
in plant pots or baskets. Place them under
direct sunlight for them to thrive. Ensure you
water them now and then, especially when you
notice the soil has dried out completely.
6. Fern
Fern’s superpower is the ability
to purify the air in its surroundings, as
suggested by NASA research. This information
initially came from Boston Ferns, who
experimented with ferns to remove plastic
compounds, formaldehyde, and smoke from the air.
Fern leaves are known to absorb all
the impurities and use for it the plant's own
growth; in other words, they purify the air.
They are easy to maintain and add a lush
forestry vibe to your indoor space. Getting a
fern houseplant seems like an fun idea!
7. Lavender
Our personal favorite, lavender,
is eye-pleasing, and has the nicest “subtle”
fragrance. What’s not to love about violet
flowers in silvery foliage?
Lavender is
also very commonly used as a kitchen herb in
many households. The beautiful-looking flower
plant also has health benefits such as relieving
stress, reducing anxiety, and enhances calmness
and peace. Ever heard of sipping on lavender tea
before going to bed? Many health experts have
suggested adding lavender tea to the everyday
diet, especially before bed, to help with sleep
patterns.
The scent of lavender has
become more popular after some big skincare
brands introduced spa products in lavender
flavors, such as soaps, lotion, body mist,
candles, air fresheners, and many more.
You can grow a lavender flower plant indoors
conveniently in your own home and space. Keeping
it near your bed has been linked with improved
sleep and reduce restlessness. Make sure to keep
it near the window, where the plant can access
direct sunlight.
8. Spider Plant
Last
on our list, but not the least, are spider
plants. The scientific name for spider plants is
Chlorophytum comosum, and they are also super
easy to care for. They learn to thrive
independently, with hardly any maintenance
requirements and investments. These plants have
thin leaves, resembling spider legs, hence the
name - spider plant.
Now, for health
benefits, spider plants have health benefits,
and they are known for purifying the surrounding
air as well. Multiple studies suggested that
spider plants have air purifying properties,
minimizing pollutants such as an air filter.
9. Snake Plant
A snake plant is a decorative indoor plant
commonly known as “mother-in-law’s tongue. It
grows vertically and has tall leaves. They are
again, very easy to care for with very
low-maintenance demands. A snake plant can be
watered only when the soil has dried out and
thrives on its own.
Research suggests
that a snake plant can remove toxins and
impurities from the air. Hence, it is a good
houseplant to invest in.
Conclusion
Apart from these nine plants, you are welcome
to explore other houseplants that can improve
your quality of life. Breathing oxygen purified
with natural houseplants is probably the best
option to improve the air quality in your home
or office. Filtering pollutants while indoors is
somewhat necessary with so many external
chemical releases.
Increasing the oxygen
source in your indoor space enables you to build
more focus and concentration, improve sleep, and
reduce stress levels. If you know of more
houseplants with health benefits, feel free to
comment below.