Houseplants and Mental Health
“It must be so nice to work here; I feel better just by walking inside.”
We hear some variation of this statement every single day, and have people bring us a resume or inquire as to whether we’re hiring around once a week, if not more. We always smile and tell everyone that of course, we love working here, and how we know how lucky we are to have a job that we actually enjoy—so few people can say that! I could truly write the script for these interactions, and they’re all sweet, but there is truly more to the refreshing feeling you get when walking into Glass Tangerine than the obvious work we put into its appearance. There is psychology behind it.
If you’ve listened to our podcast, “A Podcast To Water Your Plants To,” (and you should have, it’s only the best of times) then you likely know that our fearless leader and boss-lady, Emma Crabtree, was a therapist before starting Glass Tangerine. For many years, Emma was spending her days helping people heal and process their thoughts and feelings in a healthy and productive way, and when she was getting her master’s degree, she started pouring time into research on a topic that not only interested her, but would change her life: plants affect your mental health.
Now Emma was already a practiced plant-parent at this point, and loved taking care of them all, but writing papers about the relationship between our brains and our houseplants opened her world to a new possibility. This line of thinking is what led to the opening of Glass Tangerine, her own small business that works to bring the comfort and peace of plants into to your home in an easy and lasting way.
Emma outside Glass Tangerine around the time of its opening day.
So what did Emma discover? Why should you bring plants into your home and your life?
I’m sure you’ve heard of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), AKA “the winter blues.” While only 5% of Americans experience the diagnosed version of this condition, 10-20% of Americans experience a milder version. That may not sound like a huge number, but for perspective, that’s well over 10 million people. When days shorten and skies darken, many of us find it difficult to stay motivated or even find joy in our day-to-day. There is a way to bring life back into your home even in the cold and dark: plants.
Having green, living pieces of nature coexisting alongside you in your home is proven to combat “the winter blues.” Plants and greenery in your immediate surroundings has been linked to lowered symptoms of depression and anxiety, and lower rates of these conditions in their totality. Multiple studies from places such as the National Library of Medicine and Thrive have shown repeated correlation in markedly improved mental health between the two, and having houseplants has been called “one of the easiest ways to improve your mental health.”
Dr. Charlie Hall, from the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences, has explained that being around plants actually lowers cortisol levels, also known as the stress hormone, in our bodies. Having a snake plant in your room not only filters your air more effectively, but it also literally helps destress you! Dr. Hall even has articles detailing how exposure to plants lowers the effects of dementia, enhances memory retention, and even can lead to greater satisfaction with your life! It’s no coincidence that houseplants spiked in popularity during the 2020 pandemic. People needed life in their lives. In 2021, a study by the Mental Health Foundation found that 45%, almost half, of people in the UK attested their ability to cope with the chaos of the pandemic to their frequent trips to parks and other “green spaces.” Humans are part of nature! We forget sometimes, but it is built into our DNA. People that are connected to nature overwhelmingly tend to be happier, with a more positive outlook on life. Doesn’t it all start to make sense?
I can personally attest to how having my own houseplants to care for has absolutely helped me feel as though there’s some life in my space through the winter months, and how nice it is to have low-maintenance plants to keep alive for when life is exhausting. It really does make me feel a little better about myself and my space. I can look around my living room and feel more of a sense of comfort and peace than I would have otherwise. I also have to be off my electronics to take care of them, and I don’t know about you all, but I am tired of how pervasive screens are in my life.
But guys, plants and nature quite literally combat our reduced attention spans. The feeling of being over saturated with social media is incredibly common, and we’re seeing significant drops in attention spans across the country as a result. Connection to nature increases our mindfulness, and reduces our attention fatigue. In multiple countries around the world, governments are rolling out programs to create and preserve “green spaces” as a means of combatting mental health decline. China is one of these countries. Higher levels of flora (plant life) in workplaces is being greatly encouraged because they found a so much evidence that this mitigates stress! If this is as well-researched and well-known as it seems to be, why don’t we all have houseplants?
Maybe you read this post and thought, “Well that’s great and all, but I kill everything.” If that’s you, I’m here to tell you that you can do it. Mental health is not something to take lightly. If there’s a chance that even a tiny speck of green in your office can benefit your life, take it! Message us; ask us questions. Bring us pictures of your room so we can send you home with the perfect new friend for your space! We want to help you. Emma felt so strongly about her research she opened a business for it. Don’t wait. Do as our slogan says: “Buy Plants, Be Happy.”
Links:
https://today.tamu.edu/2024/02/06/livening-up-your-space-with-plants-can-boost-your-mental-health/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9739745/
https://www.thrive.org.uk/get-gardening/plants-to-help-ease-the-mind
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-06/MHAW21-Nature-research-report.pdf
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8454400/#:~:text=Potted%20plants%2
0can%20reduce%20stress,2019)%2C%20and%20cognitive%20performance%20(
News, Updates, and More…
Move-in day is almost here! With our final inspection happening today (hopefully), everything is being kicked into overdrive while we finish the new space. Keep up with our Instagram Story to find out our official opening day for the new and improved Glass Tangerine!
This week on Elsa Updates, she got tons of pets from every customer, and enjoyed laying on the mat behind the checkout counter next to Aunt McCray. She told reporters, “She’s no Mom, but she’ll do for now.” I was flattered.
More importantly…It’s Elsa’s birthday! Come wish our sweet girl a happy birthday today at the shop!
