It’s no secret that plants make a home feel more like home. Not only do they add some color and life to a space, but they can also improve air quality, increase productivity, and more. If you’re on the hunt for ways to make your house feel more like home, consider adding some plants! Here are 7 reasons to get some green in your house.

Reduce stress

In a study observing two activities – repotting a houseplant and finishing a short computer-based task – researchers found that the computer task raised heart rate and blood pressure. On the other hand, those repotting a house plant were found to have a lower stress response. This led researchers to conclude that working with plants could reduce both physical and mental stress.

Sharpen focus

A study of 23 participants found that whether a fake plant, picture of a plant, a real plant or none is in the classroom has an impact on the attentiveness of those in the room. Brain scans of those in the room with a real plant were observed to be more attentive and concentrate better.

Handling plants can be therapeutic

Horticulture therapy has been used by researchers to increase feelings of well-being in people with mental disorders such as depression, dementia, anxiety and other conditions. In could be inferred that indoor gardening is helpful for people experiencing symptoms from these disorders.

Plants could improve your healing

Looking at greenery after surgery could help shorten your recovery time. Research might suggest that looking at plants after surgery need less pain medication and had shorter hospital stays.

Your office plant may boost productivity

Several studies on plants in the work place suggest they might actually increase productivity and creativity. Observations of increased speed & less stress, faster creative word associations and reduced sick days were some studies performed observing this.

Improve your work outlook

Having live plants in the workplace could improve job satisfaction. A research interview of 440 Amazon employees in the US and India showed that those in a work environment that included natural elements reported higher levels of job satisfaction and commitment. Researchers suggested that these natural elements could help to reduce factors such as job stress and anxiety.

May improve quality of air

Research into phytoremediation – plants ability to ‘scrub’ contaminants from the air – has been ongoing since the 1980s. The most famous being a NASA study. Studies have confirmed findings of significantly reduced levels of airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, recent research suggests that in order to get the same effect as modern biofilters, you would have to have a lot of plants.

But even so, plants are great for brightening the mood of any room. Do you have any house plants? Which is your favourite to brighten your day? Comment them below.