Up until recently, my house was devoid of anything green inside. It’s not that I’m anti-plant or anything, I just couldn’t stand the thought of having to look after another thing. I have three small children that I have to feed, clean and generally maintain (not to very high standards unfortunately) and a husband who is somewhat helpful, but let’s face it – none of them are self-sufficient.
I really felt that a plant would be the straw that broke the camel’s back – just another thing to look at and think “Jeez, I’m not doing a very good job with you, you poor thing”. Anyhow, I’m taking the plunge, and here are 7 reasons why.
- Plants give you energy – they absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. Humans absorb oxygen and expel carbon dioxide – the two of us are meant to be together. Oxygen = energy, and I’ll take any extra I can get.
- Plants can make you happy. Caring for a living thing and watching it live and grow is known to give people a feeling of well-being and optimism. Looking after you plants can become a ritual, which is calming, simple, slows you down and contributes to mindfulness.
- Plants clean the air (hooray, someone in your house contributing to the cleaning). They actually remove toxins for the air your family is breathing in.
- Plants improve your health – there are studies that show that plants in hospitals help patients recover more quickly and plants in offices reduce the frequency of sick days. Some plants can also increase the humidity in a room and assist with respiratory issues – they are natural humidifiers.
- Plants bring peace – they absorb noise. I don’t think I could fit enough plants into my house to actually bring peace, but any sort of dulling of the screech would be nice.
- Plants can help your brain work – probably due to the additional oxygen – they will improve your ability to generate ideas.
- Plants look good – let’s not forget the decorative benefits.
So here’s a pic of my new baby – please let me bring it up right and keep it alive….
