Flowers are a great way to brighten up a room; their colors and smell can liven up any scene. They’ve been popular to have in and around the house in many cultures and for centuries.
In a way though, we’ve always taken flowers and their effects for granted, until recently. Studies have been done over the last few years that have proven that having flowers around is actually good for you.
Medicinal Benefits
Some flowers have medicinal properties. Ingesting certain flowers can help with a variety of ailments; others can be worked into pastes for dermatological conditions, wounds and so on.
Roses are well known to help with digestive issues and healing in the liver, while dandelions can help purify the blood (good when treating jaundice or anemia). When treating cuts, marigold’s antiseptic properties can help fight infection and we’ve known about valerian’s ability to help anxiety sufferers for years. Scientists are continuously figuring out new applications for flowers found in nature, proving that a cure for whatever ails you is provided by nature.
Emotional Benefits
Alongside using flowers for wellness, these colorful plants benefit the home and office too. Flowers cheer you up and there’s a reason why hospitals allow them in patient rooms. One study showed that patients recovered significantly faster when placed in a room filled with flowers, because they were put in a much healthier and positive state of mind when surrounded by the beautiful colors and scents. Flowers can improve moods and general positivity, so why not try to find a way to include them in your life.
Workplace Benefits
Of all the places where you may need your mood improved, for most of us work features prominently. Work can really bring about a tremendous amount of stress and it’s important that the stress is relieved quickly and not brought home with you.
Flowers in the workplace are perfect for this end, so try to make a deal with your coworkers that each of you brings in some flowers on a regular basis or otherwise invest in some plants to cheer the place up a bit.
When you work alone or at home, this is of course no problem. You can brighten the place up whenever you want. Besides the general mood improving flowers can also boost the office’s productivity.
Studies have shown that the pace of work picks up as the positive vibes spread throughout the workplace. Cognitive functioning also improves in offices that have plants and flowers in them, improving the quality of the work done there.
Mental Health Benefits
These beneficial influences on your mood do more than spur productivity; they actually help improve mental health. The happiness brought on by the smell of the flowers as well as their bright colors makes you more able to tackle depression and anxiety.
Flowers are more than just pretty decorations; having them around you has real benefits. There’s no reason why you can’t capture that same happy, positive feeling you get when you’re outside looking at all the flowers in their spring bloom indoors. The colors, smells and life force are sure to brighten and benefit you in more ways than you can count.
