More than 20% of Australians report that a mental health disorder has affected them at some point in their lives.

Did you know that one of the best ways to reduce anxiety and support your mental health is by getting into nature? If you can’t get to nature in real life, bringing nature to you is the perfect alternative.

Read on to learn more about how indoor plants can have a positive impact on your mental health.

1. Indoor Plants Help You Destress

There are hundreds of studies out there that prove the link between plants and lower stress levels.

When you have a plant nearby, it can help to lower your heart rate and reduce cortisol production. High cortisol and high blood pressure are both critical signs of stress that can be reduced simply by putting a plant on your desk.

What are the best indoor plants for stress relief? Just about any plant will help you feel less stressed. From a beautiful Monstera Deliciosa to a cactus, or Aloe Vera plant, choose something aesthetically pleasing to you.

2. Plants Are Calming

Ever wondered why yoga studios, spas, and places of tranquillity are full of plants? It’s because plants have a calming effect on our minds. There is a reason ‘forest bathing’ is such a trend these days.

Whenever you feel stressed or tired, just take a look at your plant for a few minutes. It will help you feel calmer and less fatigued, we promise.

Birds of Paradise, Fiddle Leaf Figs and Rubber Plants are some of the best indoor plants for bringing a calming element into your office or home.

3. Plants Can Help You To Focus

Once you have plants surrounding you and feel the calm and tranquillity they bring to your space, you may notice other benefits. One of the most significant mental benefits of plants is focus.

When your mind isn’t racing and thinking about a million things at once, it is much easier to focus on one task.

Indoor house plants also purify the air and provide fresh oxygen for us to breathe, which is excellent for improving focus.

4. Supercharge Your Productivity

So now you’re super focused, you’re going to notice a considerable boost in your productivity.

Productivity lulls because we try to do too many things at once. We get distracted and flit from task to task. If we have clarity and focus, it’s much more likely we’ll get our work finished in less time.

According to this study, offices with plants can make workers as much as 15% more productive. So encourage your boss to invest in some office greenery.

Indoor hanging plants such as the Boston Fern are perfect for bringing some green into the workplace. They don’t take up precious desk space and cover those (often very ugly) office ceilings.

5. Plants Help You Sleep

Some plants are perfect for helping you improve the quality of your sleep.

Never underestimate the importance of sleep on your mental health. If we don’t sleep enough, our brains don’t have the chance to filter out all the toxins that build up during the day. Poor sleep can lead to lethargy, stress, and unstable moods the next day.

So put some sleep-friendly plants in your bedroom if you want to improve your sleep quality.

Snake Plants and Aloe Vera are excellent choices for the bedroom as they release oxygen and purify the air at night. Peace Lilies are also a great option for the bedroom. Did you know that they are one of the best plants for purifying the toxins from the air you breathe?

6. Healing Properties of Plants

Taking care of indoor plants can be cathartic and therapeutic. Watching a plant flourish, grow new leaves and burst into bloom is incredibly satisfying.

Taking care of your plants often brings you into the present moment and can help you forget about the stresses or worries in your life. You focus on the task at hand and can become mindful of what you are doing.

For this reason, Horticultural Therapy is a well-known treatment for people suffering from mental illness or conditions such as dementia.

7. Plants Remind You to Get Outdoors

When you are surrounded by large indoor plants, it’s a reminder of the world outside.

Being active outside is one of the most effective ways we can take care of our mental health. If we surround ourselves with nature at home and work, it’s a healthy reminder of how good plants, trees and the great outdoors make us feel.

Why not try some indoor vine plants if you want to bring the outdoors in and create a little urban oasis.

Devils Ivy is a great plant to bring a bit of the jungle to your home without much need for care. You only need to water it a couple of times a month, and it will thrive. It also doesn’t matter where in your house you put a Devils Ivy; it will always flourish.

Create Your Green Oasis

Now you know all the benefits of indoor plants for your mental health, it’s time to decide which plants you want in your home.

All the plants we mention in this article are super simple to take care of and are perfect for houseplant beginners.

Houseplants are not just aesthetically pleasing; science shows us that our brains appreciate them and react to them in more ways than we will ever understand.

Start your plant parent journey today with one of these beautiful indoor plants.

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