Green Spaces, Clear Minds: The Relaxing Power of Houseplants

Houseplants are often used in home decorating to bring a spot of bright green or life into a space. Yet what most people don’t know about these plants is that they have amazing benefits for mental health! Plants offer a level of tranquility and comfort that is similar to petting a dog or cat. Playing with pets is a well-known activity that lowers blood pressure and helps us relax.

I have two cats at home, and I love petting them or playing with them.  An interview from Texas A&M University with a professor of horticulture explained how plants, like petting a dog or cat, can also positively affect overall happiness and relaxation. Playing with your pet and surrounding yourself with plants trigger the same response in our brain that makes us happy! In the winter, many people are confined to their homes, which can negatively impact mental health. Surrounding ourselves with plants helps make us happy, as they are so green compared to the dullness of the winter season. Plants in the home have this great effect because they simulate being in nature, such as going on hikes or walking around a park. Although being outside has a greater impact on mental wellbeing than being surrounded by plants in the house, they still provide a great benefit, especially when it’s too cold to go for walks in the park!

One study from 2022 showed that indoor plants help not only in relaxation, but also with improved cognition. Houseplants also may increase academic achievement in school students. When I write or study around my houseplants, they always help me get my work done efficiently, and make me less stressed than when I’m somewhere without them. The relaxing effect of houseplants is probably related to how they use carbon dioxide, along with light and water, as an energy source during the process of photosynthesis. Oxygen is then exported as a waste product during this reaction, thus improving air quality around us by increasing oxygen levels, while at the same time reducing the amount of carbon dioxide present. Also, according to a 1989 study by NASA, houseplants such as formaldehyde and benzene have been found to remove carcinogens from the air, acting almost like natural air purifiers. And not only do they purify the air of your home from toxins, they also look beautiful! I’ve even found I have a lot less dust in areas with houseplants. 

Repotting is also a necessity when owning houseplants, but this does not have to be a deterrent. Did you know that repotting plants is actually a great way to relieve stress and help us relax? A study from 2015 researched how repotting a houseplant versus completing a computer-based task can improve mental wellbeing. After repotting the plant, people reported that they felt relaxed and comfortable, and people who took time and care with repotting their houseplants had lower blood pressure. On the other hand, computer-based tasks caused participants to feel uncomfortable and were associated with increased blood pressure. I love repotting plants, who’s with me! I’ll often repot plants in cute pots that I find, which makes the activity even more fun for me. One of my favorite pots looks like a stack of beautiful books decorated in flowers, but is actually a pot! Another one of my favorite pots is one with painted sunflowers on it. By interacting with plants, our sympathetic nervous system decreases in activity, which is associated with comfortable, soothing, and natural feelings. By working on computers, we feel artificial, uncomfortable, and stressed. 

I have about seventy plants in my house—yes, seventy—and I definitely feel more relaxed when I get home. Whether it’s touching the dirt of the plants or watering them, I feel at peace when I'm caring for them. The cute pots I have, such as a boat or a little pot with a smiley face on it, only make the experience of being with them all the more fun and relaxing. The air in areas where I have many plants also smells fresh and clean, helping decrease the stress I may experience throughout the day. I’d recommend anyone have a few (or many!) plants in their home to experience these amazing benefits.