If you’re struggling with anxiety, low mood, or low self-esteem – you’re not alone.
In fact, one in every five adults in the US suffers from mental illness in any given year. That’s roughly 43.8 million people.
Aside from the obvious things – seeing a doctor, organizing counseling, getting started on SSRIs – you can do to start tackling your mental health, often people overlook the simple things.
For example, flowers. They’re beautiful and smell amazing, but you may be surprised to learn that the benefits of flowers come down to more than just the way they look and smell.
Read on to discover more about the benefits of flowers, and how they can have a positive impact on your mental wellbeing.
Improving Productivity
It may seem like a stretch, but it has in fact been scientifically proven that indoor plants and flowers have a positive impact on productivity and mood when in the workplace.
If you work from home and struggle to keep yourself motivated, why not invest in a few potted plants to tend to? It’s not a big commitment, will liven up your workspace and could improve your overall mood and productivity.
The benefits of flowers aren’t a solution to your lack of productivity, but there’s no harm in keeping them to see how they boost your motivation.
Memory Boost
This is somewhat linked to productivity, in that just as you can get distracted, you can also lose your train of thought.
Keeping plants in your workspace can aid your memory since they clear and oxygenate the air and atmosphere around you in a way that can enhance your brain cells.
If you’re not great at looking after plants, you could go for succulents or cacti, as they don’t require a great deal of maintenance or watering.
Alongside regular memory exercises, having a plant near you when you work can help boost your brain and keep your memory sharp.
We’d recommend rosemary flowers in particular, as they’re great for boosting memory. Plus, you can even keep parts of the plant to dry out and use as garnish and to add flavor when cooking. It’s a great, multifunctional plant.
Lowering Stress
There’s a reason a lot of people find gardening really relaxing. Flowers appeal to two of our primary senses: sight and smell.
Growing and caring for things is rewarding and can be an extremely cathartic experience. On top of that, floral scents can do wonders for relaxing the mind. Some of the flowers and scents especially known for combatting stress are:
- Lavender
- Chamomile
- Jasmine
- Marjoram
Chamomile is lovely and soothing, while lavender and jasmine are great for improving sleep.
Better sleep has a direct link with reducing stress. In turn, when you’re less stressed, you’re less likely to toss and turn and more likely to get a good night’s sleep.
Stress can also lead to tension and headaches, which annoyingly can hamper productivity and generally make you feel pretty bad about yourself.
Thankfully, marjoram is great for relieving headaches and migraines, so consider displaying some around your home if you are regularly affected by these.
The colors and shapes of different flowers can also stimulate our minds, bodies, and senses and stimulate pleasant thoughts to distract an anxious mind or lift a low mood.
Boosting Emotional Health
The simple act of receiving flowers from a friend, family member, or special someone can often have the effect of boosting your mood.
A gifted bouquet or potted plant from a loved one or potential suitor is a sign that they care about you. Knowing you’re being thought about fondly by others can improve your mental wellbeing.
Looking at those flowers will make you think about how much you’re loved everytime you look at them. They’re truly a beautiful and spontaneous gift.
The Science of Color
Speaking of spontaneous gifts, why are red roses so commonly gifted on Valentine’s day? A large part of it has to do with the color. Bright, deep red is a color of love and passion. It expresses these feelings in its intense shade.
They are beautiful and classic, with a distinctively elegant and sweet scent. Due to their popularity and their wide appeal, many retailers, both independent and chain businesses will hike up their prices, especially around Valentine’s day.
But don’t fear, a bouquet of luscious red roses doesn’t have to put you out of pocket. In fact, you can save yourself money by going for wholesale roses instead.
Whether you’re buying roses, or opting for different flowers to gift to the person you care about, you might want to know what different colors can do for mood and well-being.
Send Different Vibes Through Different Colors
Red is naturally the go-to color choice for Valentine’s day or romantic bouquets. However, you don’t have to limit yourself to this. Different colors elicit different moods, messages, and can affect people’s mental well-being in various ways.
Blue
Blue has a calming effect, even a cooling effect in warmer climates. Blue is truly one of the most relaxing colors and has the ability to lower blood pressure, respiration and heart rate.
Consider buying blue or lilac flowers such as hydrangea, aster, or even lavender for people you know who are quite anxious or need a relaxing present in their life.
Yellow
Yellow is an uplifting color and can help improve mood and even improve memory.
Daffodils are often gifted in the Spring and will brighten up any room. Equally, sunflowers make great gifting flowers.
Pink
Pink is a sweet, feminine, flirty color. Pink flowers can be calming, but also relaxing in their own way. Pink peonies look great in a bouquet, and pink roses can be a nice change from the traditional red.
The Many Mental Benefits of Flowers
When you begin noticing the warning signs and identify what triggers your mental illness, it may be worth remembering this article so you can prepare yourself.
Give yourself ‘me time’, surround yourself and the ones you love with beautiful things.
Consider the colors of the flowers you choose, as well as the smell. What message are you trying to send?
Now you know the mental health benefits of flowers, why not check out some of our other articles about health, fitness, as well as beauty and wellness?
