January's a tough one. It's the month of post-Christmas blues, the time when people look to recharge themselves, to work off the holiday weight, and reset their minds. It's also a month when it's still relatively dark, with mother nature tending to dictate the weather to be quite often gloomy.
The comedown from Christmas, as well as the general rubbish weather and still dark nights, can take a great mental and physical toll on many of us; Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in particular, a mental health condition linked to symptoms of depression caused by dark days and miserable weather, is one that affects many of us, especially during the winter months like January. With the Covid-19 pandemic also causing restrictions on social occasions, encouraging us to remain apart from each other, as well having an impact on the financial aspects of our lives, it's more important than ever to take care of our mental and physical health.
There are, of course, many options to consider when aiming to improve our wellbeing; some include exercise, eating and drinking the right foods and drinks, and speaking to family members, friends, or even a professional-to name just a few. But did you know that houseplants can also support good physical and mental health?
We are always told to go out and get plenty of fresh air, making sure to spend as much time as possible around plants and nature, but of course, this becomes problematic in winter with it getting darker earlier, the weather being cold, and Covid-19 preventing certain outdoor activities. A good solution is to introduce houseplants into your home and office! The psychological benefits to doing this vary, but two major ones are improved mood and reduced stress levels. Investing in houseplants helps you to release happy chemicals; for those in particular who suffer from anxiety and depression, taking up such an active hobby where you partake in horticultural therapy helps to release endorphins in your brain. Having plants in the office has proven to increase productivity; one study showed that students in a lab worked faster and with less stress when plants were situated nearby. Interestingly too, interviews with Amazon workers in both the US and India concluded that employees experienced greater job satisfaction and willingness to commit to the company after being surrounded by plants. Your indoor space being populated by houseplants also enables you to feel more comfortable and relaxed; looking after houseplants lowers your stress response, helping you to manage your blood pressure and heart rate better.
There is also a multitude of physical benefits to having an indoor garden. For one, indoor plants can help reduce fatigue and even headaches. Poor quality air is the cause of physical symptoms like dizziness and fatigue; this is the result of furniture and carpet that make up our interior space, as well as cleaning products we use contaminating the fresh air. Houseplants serve as a type of purifier, filtering out all the bad chemicals (especially good plants for this are the spider plant or ficus tree). Recovering from physical illness can be achieved a little faster through houseplants also; patients in the hospital, for example, experience lower ratings of pain, fatigue, and anxiety when they have plants in their rooms. Sickness rates, according to researchers, fall more than sixty percent when houseplants are placed near people. For all the asthma folk, being surrounded by houseplants also helps you with your breathing! Plants absorb carbon dioxide and then release oxygen, thereby increasing the oxygen levels around you.
Your wellbeing, no matter what month, no matter what day, is extremely important. Langton Greenhouse and Garden Centre is happy to be able to provide you with a selection of unique houseplants that can help you thrive physically and mentally this winter. This week we are excited to be able to bring in an even bigger variety for you to choose from.