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The Power of Flowers
Being surrounded by nature has long been known to lift our mood and ease stress, and research consistently links flowers and plants with positive psychological health. 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.
After buying flowers from the market or after putting them in your favourite vase, you will end up feeling less agitated – without even really realising it. Studies have shown that flowers can induce creative energy and positive vibes, ultimately making us feel better. 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.
We all know that flowers and plants have the power to make people happy. They can delight you on a special occasion, cheer you up when you’re sad or make a dull, dreary room much more appealing. Here are 6 ways flowers can have a positive impact on our mental health:
- Flowers can improve anxiety
Stress and anxiety are part of everyday life. While there are many things you can do to manage your mental health, flowers can help restore some short-term calm to your situation.
Have some in your bedroom to create a calming environment when you go to sleep and when you wake up. Alternatively make space for a plant in your study to help you keep a handle on work-related stress.
Flowers do more than just brighten your room, they can have an uplifting and brightening effect on your mood too. Flowers can chase away anxieties and worries, making people feel less depressed, troubled, or agitated. They can induce a more positive outlook on life, boosting energy and happiness. Even the smell can help relieve anxiety and are the ideal antidote to stress.
- Flowers can help you sleep
Sleeping properly is very important. The smell of lavender is proven to lower your heart rate and blood pressure, which will help you to relax. The more relaxed you are, the more likely you are to drift off into a restful sleep. It is certainly one to have as a part of your bedtime routine.
- Flowers can improve your memory
Specifically, rosemary can sharpen your powers of recall. This herb has long been used for aromatherapy as a memory booster, especially in the form of essential oil. Rosemary essential oil is known to promote memory retention, concentration, and efficiency in mental tasks.
- Flowers can change your emotions with colours
We all associate colours with different moods. Red can mean love, anger, or danger. Yellow is usually associated with happiness and sunshine. Blue can signify calm or sadness. Green is linked to safety, which could explain why having lots of leafy plants around creates such a comfortable environment.
- Flowers can make you more productive
Whether in the workplace or in a home office, flowers and plants are proven to improve performance and ignite creativity. Connecting back to the idea of colour, red is connected to concentration and attention to detail, while blue is considered a better way to encourage creativity and free-thinking.
- Gardening and your mental health
Some people find value in having something to care for that relies on them to survive. Gardening is also an activity you can do as a group, such as tending a community garden, and spending time with friends and family is a great way to boost your mood.
The creative process can be therapeutic: making arrangements, in particular, is a very therapeutic and creative process. Arranging flowers allows us to be inventive, focused, and controlled. Just like meditation.
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.
If you are unsure which flowers to choose, try a few of these:
Geraniums
Improves air quality – its flora, rose-like aroma has a calming, meditative effect on the body and mind.
Lavender
Improves sleep – always at the top of the list for natural anxiety busters, it reduces blood pressure, and slows heart rate. Its floral smell is effective at providing a calm atmosphere.
Roses
Relieves headaches, sharpens memory – rose petals have a relaxing, calming scent.
Orchids
Calming – best known for relieving stress. It is used in many herbal medicines which helps to maintain mental peace.
Lily of the valley
Soothes nerves and helps with dizziness – it encourages the heart to beat more slowly, regularly, and efficiently, reducing blood volume and lowering blood pressure.
Tulips
Alleviates tension and exhaustion – it seeks to rejuvenate and reinvigorate your senses, enabling you to feel much more recharged than ever before.
Jasmine
Aids sleep – proven to lower stress and anxiety levels, inducing peacefulness, improving sleep, and lowering heart rate. An ideal addition to the bedroom.
Rosemary
Improves memory function, relieves stress – inhaling the aroma of rosemary essential oil can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your blood.
Calendula
Help heal – known for their antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties, they are often used externally to ease inflammation and heal wounds and rashes.
Chrysanthemums
Improve mood – they have been shown to lessen symptoms of worry and stress, and when taken as tea, this flower cools and relaxes our body.
Snake Plants
Boost productivity – this plant improves energy levels and can help those who suffer from eye irritations, headaches or breathing problems. Other benefits include improving reaction times, increasing concentration, and lowering levels of anxiety.
Lisianthus
Encourage creativity – blue stems, such as delicate anemone or pretty lisianthus, inspire free thinking.
