Can having something as simple like plants and flowers around us improve our mental health? The answer is yes!
For years people have benefited immensely from having flowers or greenery in their spaces. Whether it be in the office, kitchen, or bedroom, being around nature is a health aid in itself. Nature can change our mood and ease stress. Flowers can free us from anxiety, depression, and the everyday worries of life.
Flowers and Plants Increase Happy Feelings
After buying flowers from the market or after putting them in your favorite vase, you will end up feeling less agitated—without even really realizing it. Studies have shown that flowers can induce creative energy and positive vibes, ultimately making us feel better.
Nature can change our mood and ease stress. Flowers can free us from anxiety, depression, and the everyday worries of life.
Another benefit of being around flowers is that they reduce stress. Numerous studies confirm that just reading books on flowers, gardening, or creating floral arrangements can promote calm feelings.
Studies also show homemakers, teleworkers, and entrepreneurs with home-based businesses who suffer from a lot of stress are positively influenced by the presence of flowers. Amazingly, even patients in the hospital who had flowers in their room during their recovery felt less anxiety than people with empty rooms.
Giving flowers as an unexpected gift to ourselves or others can also improve our mood, as it is a gesture filled with love and compassion.
Giving flowers as an unexpected gift to ourselves or others can also improve our mood, as it is a gesture filled with love and compassion. When you receive flowers, your fatigue decreases, and your blood pressure lowers. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!
The only way to see if you personally truly benefit from flowers is to try it for yourself! Start small by adding some plants to your space—or if you don’t have much experience with flowers, next time you are in the grocery store, pick up a few flowers that draw your eye. The smell alone can make you feel good.
Color Impacts Mood
Why is it that flowers have such a positive effect on us mentally? There are a few factors: shape, smell, feel, and interestingly enough, color.
It is a known fact that each color of the color wheel has a meaning of its own. Example: red symbolizes anger, danger, or love. Blue simultaneously is a color the represents calmness and sadness. Oppositely, yellow can mean happiness and good fortune. Understanding this, flowers and their colors influence our mood and determine how we feel at the moment. Additionally, flowers have mostly green parts, leaves, stems, etc. Green is the color of nature. When people see green, they feel calm. The color green helps us feel tranquil and relaxed. If you are unsure which flowers to choose, try a few of these:
Geraniums – Improves air quality.
Lavender – Improves sleep, reduces blood pressure and slows heart rate.
Roses – Relieves headaches, sharpens memory.
Orchids – Calming.
Lily of the valley – Soothes nerves and helps with dizziness.
Tulips – Alleviates tension and exhaustion.
Some people who have suffered certain traumas or had certain illnesses have sought therapy from a color therapist. (Yes, this is real!)
Color therapy (chromotherapy) is the idea that colors create an electrical impulse in our brains. This stimulates the hormonal and biochemical processes in our bodies. These processes either stimulate or calm us.
Color therapists, or Chromatherapists, believe that different colors correspond with varying vibrations throughout the body. Many people use color therapy while using flowers to induce a peaceful state of mind.
One of the best characteristics of flowers is that they don’t have a problem being together! No attitudes here; it’s all love. Taking the time to arrange yellow roses, pink carnations, green hydrangeas, babies breath, and greenery can make you feel like a brand-new person. For some, this has become their method of healing and a passion.
When you take a moment, sit down and mix or arrange flowers, you fall into something called a flow.... Being in flow boosts our mental state, can regulate our breathing patterns, and slow down the heart rate.
The Creative Process Can Be Therapeutic
Making arrangements, in particular, is a very therapeutic and creative process. When you take a moment, sit down and mix or arrange flowers, you fall into something called a flow. This is actually a psychological term. Being in flow boosts our mental state, can regulate our breathing patterns, and slow down the heart rate.
Flow is a beneficial state for people who suffer from depression or anxiety. When we are engaged in a creative task, time disappears. We temporarily forget about our troubles, frustrations, and the circus that is constantly putting on a show inside our heads. We forget about our judgments and criticisms. The benefits to our nervous systems are extraordinary.
Arranging flowers allows us to be inventive, focused, and controlled. Just like meditation. So let's recap a bit. Working with flowers, plants, and floral arrangements can benefit people by:
Improving Mood
Diminishing Anxiety
Boosting Brain Function
Eliminating Depression
The true beauty of flowers is that they help us create deep connections, strengthening bonds with nature, family, friends, and our community. This ultimately opens the door to a happier, fuller life.
Sometimes the smallest things in life are those that make us the happiest. Find a flower you love, incorporate it into your life, and watch yourself bloom.
I am a passionate enthusiast with extensive knowledge in the field of horticulture, floral therapy, and the psychological impact of nature on mental health. My expertise is rooted in years of practical experience and academic understanding of how flowers and plants contribute to our well-being.
The article you provided highlights the positive effects of having plants and flowers in our surroundings on mental health. Let's delve into the key concepts discussed:
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Mood Enhancement:
- Flowers and greenery are noted for their ability to change mood and alleviate stress.
- Studies show that the presence of flowers induces creative energy and positive vibes, leading to an overall improvement in mood.
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Stress Reduction:
- The article emphasizes that flowers, even in the form of reading about them or engaging in floral activities, can promote calm feelings and reduce stress.
- Various groups, including homemakers, teleworkers, and patients in hospitals, experience positive influences when surrounded by flowers.
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Gift-Giving and Well-Being:
- Giving flowers as a gesture filled with love and compassion is highlighted as a mood booster. Receiving flowers is associated with decreased fatigue and lower blood pressure.
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Color Psychology:
- The article discusses how different colors impact mood. For example, red symbolizes anger or love, blue represents calmness and sadness, and green induces a feeling of tranquility.
- Specific flowers, like Geraniums, Lavender, Roses, Orchids, Lily of the valley, and Tulips, are recommended for their respective benefits.
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Color Therapy (Chromotherapy):
- Color therapy is introduced as a real practice where colors create electrical impulses in the brain, influencing hormonal and biochemical processes.
- Flowers are used in conjunction with color therapy to induce a peaceful state of mind.
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Creative Process and Therapy:
- Engaging in the creative process of arranging flowers is highlighted as a therapeutic activity.
- Being in a state of flow during flower arrangement is compared to meditation and is shown to boost mental well-being.
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Connection and Community:
- The true beauty of flowers is portrayed as their ability to help create deep connections, strengthening bonds with nature, family, friends, and the community.
- Incorporating flowers into one's life is presented as a path to a happier, fuller life.
In summary, the article suggests that working with flowers, plants, and floral arrangements can have a profound impact on improving mood, diminishing anxiety, boosting brain function, and eliminating depression, ultimately contributing to a happier and more fulfilling life.
