Plants are not just for the garden as they have a number of health benefits too, including the ability to soothe headaches, calm ailments and reduce everyday stresses and strains.
If you spend a lot of time indoors, be this due to long working hours or weather conditions, poor air quality is bound to affect your health. In fact, indoor toxins can have a detrimental effect on our health. Such toxins can cause allergies, asthma, inflammation, anxiety, stress and even certain types of cancer.
Thankfully, there are a number of ways to improve your indoor health, one of which includes bringing the benefits of the outdoors inside. One cost-effective way to do this is to invest in an array of house plants. Read on to learn more about their many benefits…
8 Plants with Amazing Anti-Anxiety Benefits
1. Jasmine helps to improve sleep quality
Jasmine, a shrub found outdoors, can also thrive indoors. Its fragrance is not only sweet to our senses, it’s proven to promote a better night’s sleep.
When surrounded by jasmine, it’s likely you’ll feel less anxious and more at peace, which results in waking up more alert.
Sleep plays an important role in our physical and mental wellbeing. If you’re lacking in sleep, you may find you have trouble making decisions, controlling your emotions, solving problems and coping with change.
2. Lavender helps to lower anxiety and stress
Lavender comes from the mint family and is most commonly used as an essential oil.
Asides from it beautiful scent, it’s proven to lower stress and anxiety levels. It also improves sleep, lowers heart rate and calms agitated babies.
3. Rosemary helps to improve your memory
Rosemary, a perennial herb and a member of the mint family that is native to the Mediterranean region.
As well as improving air quality, it’s also said to improve memory function, reduce stress and banish anxiety.
4. Aloe Vera improves overall air quality
Aloe Vera, predominantly used as a herbal remedy, is a succulent plant species that has been around since the beginning of the first century AD. Renowned for soothing scars, inflammation and sunburned skin, Aloe Vera Is said to be among the most powerful plant air purifiers in the world.
Asides from lowering carbon dioxide levels at night, this plant species also helps to remove harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde and benzene from the air. It’s also said to have effectively treated symptoms of anxiety.
If you wish to improve the overall quality of the air in your home or office, these plants are a great investment – especially to those wishing for a restful night’s sleep – a must if you wish to rid your body and mind of worry and stress.
It’s also a great option for those looking for a low maintenance plant as it requires minimum water and attention. In fact, the Egyptians nicknamed it the ‘plant of immortality’ because of its resilience.
5. Chrysanthemum has many medicinal benefits
This hot-hued plant not only adds colour and vibrancy to your home, but it’s proven to purify air, lessen symptoms of worry and stress and cool and relax our bodies when taken as a tea.
Its name originates from the Greek words “gold” and “flower”. Asides from its air purifying benefits, this plant specie also boasts a number of medicinal benefits. It is often used to treat high blood pressure, chest pain, fever, type 2 diabetes, cold, headache, swelling and dizziness.
It can also be used to treat prostate cancer when combined with other herbs and is a popular tea in Southern China. This tea boasts both calming and relaxing benefits, which can help to treat the symptoms of anxiety by relaxing the nervous system.
3. English Ivy Plant reduces mold and promotes a good night’s sleep
Native to Western Asia and Europe, English Ivy is a species of flowering plant. This particular specie is a great companion to those who wish to calm their allergies, particularly if they suffer from asthma.
It’s said to lower airborne mould by 94% in as little as 12 hours. It’s little wonder it’s one of the most efficient plants to invest in when it comes to removing formaldehyde from the air and promoting a good night’s sleep!
4. Areca Palm purifies air
The Areca palm is another popular air purifying plant, which many have in both their homes and offices.
Asides from being extremely easy to care for (providing you don’t overwater it), it’s able to add moisture to the surrounding atmosphere. It’s proven to remove unwanted toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene from the air.
Breathing in purer air (both when awake and asleep) helps to lower anxiety levels and blood pressure, which in turn helps us to calm our mental and physical state.
5. Golden Pothos is a great plant for the garage
This plant species is another powerful tool to invest in when it comes to tackling poor air quality and stress affecting factors.
The Golden Pothos comes in the shape of a fast-growing vine that will create a waterfall of green when displayed in a hanging basket. Having such a plant in your office or home is a good way to promote a relaxing ambiance.
One of the unique features of this plant is its ability to stay green, even when kept in a dark room. To keep this plant in tip-top condition, ensure it gets plenty of bright, indirect light during the day and avoids overwatering, as this will cause root rot to set in.
6. Red-edged Dracaena brightens and purifies the home
Asides from bringing a pop of color into your home, with its purple-red edged leaves, this fast-growing shrub is also celebrated for its air-purifying properties, which in turn promote a clean, relaxing ambiance.
It has the ability to rid the air of chemicals including xylene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde – all of which can find their way into the home through the use of varnishes, lacquers, and gasoline. These harmful chemicals can cause heightened stress levels, a lack of concentration and increased anxiety.
7. Gerbera daisy helps to remove toxins from the air
This picture-perfect, brightly colored, flowering plant is an extremely effective air purifier. It’s renowned for being able to remove Trichloroethylene from the home – this is a chemical that you may (unbeknown to yourself) bring home with your dry cleaning. It can also remove benzene from the air – a chemical associated with inks. Add one to your office, laundry room or bedroom to promote a calming ambiance and restful night’s sleep.
Its only requirement is lots of light and well-drained soil, so be sure to invest in a vessel that boasts good drainage holes. To promote healthy growth, mist the leaves a few times a week. When this flower blooms, its colorful petals can last up to two weeks. The pretty hue not only adds energy to our homes but having brightly colored plants in the house and office also helps to promote happiness.
8. Snake Plant prevents headaches
Native to West Africa, the Snake Plant belongs to the Asparagaceae family. If you suffer from eye irritation, headaches or breathing problems, this is a great plant to install in your home. It also improves energy levels. NASA was amongst the first to discover the benefits offered by the snake plant.
During their studies, they sealed a single snake plant in an enclosed chamber for 24 hours, whilst releasing a number of toxic gases. Results showed Benzene levels were reduced by 53% and Trichloroethylene by 13.4%.
Having plants in the home and office environment is a must if you wish to lower blood pressure, improve well-being, increase productivity and raise job satisfaction. Other benefits include improving reaction times, increasing concentration, promoting a restful night’s sleep and lowering levels of anxiety. Going green certainly has its perks!
