by KELLI MESSICK, OWNER OF PATIENTLY ROOTED
Hi, plant friends! My name is Kelli and my goal is to help more people become plant people and see all the amazing benefits plants can bring to your life. As the founder and owner of Patiently Rooted, a company dedicated to spreading the word about the benefits of plants, I have always had a love of nature and plants, and now I want to share my obsession with other people.
What’s the big deal about plants?
People ask this question all the time – why should I have a real plant inside? The answer is simple – people need to get more nature back into their lives. We are constantly surrounded by screens, and it is not doing any favors to our overall health. Bringing in nature can help people fix their focus and can even help boost their mood.
Clean Air Club
Did you know that plants can actually pull toxins out of the air? Let’s think back to how photosynthesis works. One of those steps is the absorption of carbon dioxide. This means the plant in your space is actually making your air cleaner by getting rid of the CO2 and turning it into oxygen for us. They not only take out carbon dioxide from the air but also get rid of other harmful chemicals including formaldehyde, ammonia, and even fecal matter that could be floating in the air. Yuck!
NASA has conducted a clean air study about which plants can clean the air the best. Their front runners include Pothos, Snake Plants, and Philodendrons. Every plant can help improve the air in the space and they encourage people to have one plant per 100 square feet. The more the merrier, in my opinion!
Mental Health Matters
Sometimes when people think about getting healthy and fit they forget about the most important thing – their mental health. You can do any diet or workout, but you won’t feel your best if you aren’t putting just as much effort into your mental health. And guess what? Plants can help!
One of the great things about plants is they can help you build a routine. You can set a schedule during the week like this for example: “Every Monday I am going to check on my plants at 8:00 pm.” That doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to water them or repot them right at that time, but it does mean you are checking on them and seeing what they need at that moment. Routines help people feel happier and can help them become more productive in their everyday lives.
When you do need to water or repot your plant, spending time with it can actually reduce your stress levels. There is something soothing about looking at the beautiful leaves of a plant while you’re watering it. And if you need to repot the plant, finishing this task might just give you the encouragement to do another task around the house or at work you have been putting off.
For years people have brought flowers or plants to people who are sick to make them feel better, but what they didn’t know is that the plant is working to make them feel better. Psychologists have proved when older patients in retirement homes have a garden or plant inside their space that it improves their overall well-being. It gives them a sense of purpose and something to take care of when interacting with it. This could be applied to anyone of any age because people love to have a sense of purpose in their life. This is not saying plants should be the only purpose in life, just that plants help a person’s mental state and might even pull someone out of a depressive state, so she can get back to the things she truly cares about.
Another great place to add plants is in your workspace. Plants have been proven to increase your focus and continually draw your attention to your work instead of being distracted.
Having plants in your space not only helps your mental health but your physical health as it cleans the air. I think we can all agree everyone would benefit from those two things and an easy addition to your life would be to add a houseplant.
