Hello readers, hope you had a fun and relaxing holiday season! Time to get back to school, and today I want to share with you how taking care of house plants can boost your mental health and I hope that this is something that you can try for yourself.

Now, until a few weeks ago, I’ve never had houseplants that I personally took care of! In fact, I have five fake plants in my apartment that don’t need any attention or care. This changed recently when my mom got me a real plant for my apartment, then a week later I got an aloe plant (my favourite) at a secret Santa party, and then a friend of mine asked if I could take care of her plant over the winter break. So now I suddenly have 3 real plants to take care of and I think that this was meant to be!

I’m now going to share how these plants help improve my mental health:

1. Houseplants Provide a Sense of Responsibility and Purpose:

Taking care of a plant, being responsible for its wellbeing, and watching it successfully nurture gives me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Taking care of a houseplant requires a certain degree of mindfulness and attention, but is also forgiving, which makes it an easy way to boost your confidence. This mutual relationship between a houseplant and its caretaker can really promote positive mental health!

2. Houseplants Provide a Sense of Connectedness

It’s human nature to seek connection with others. Plants remind us that we are sharing this world with more than just other humans. Having a plant in your home can serve as a reminder of our connection with the rest of this wonderful world. When we breathe, we take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide and plants do the opposite, making us a perfect team!

3. Houseplants Teach Us to Slow Down

Caring for houseplants requires patience. Shortcuts don’t work with plants, just like they don’t work with our own health. When a plant is unwell with shriveled brown leaves, we need to look at the whole picture, taking our time and getting to know what amount of sunlight and water the plant needs to thrive. Our busy schedules and the constant use of smartphones and computers these days can make our brains feel chronically stressed. Taking time out of your day to slowly water a houseplant and carefully check its leaves to see how it’s feeling, gives your brain a needed break from the constant stimulation.

Incorporating houseplants into our living space may seem like a small change, but it can be a surprisingly powerful complement to our self-care practice. Plus, houseplants are just nice to look at. So go head to your local nursery and buy yourself some greenery– you (and your apartment) deserve it!

I LIVE for comments! Please share your thoughts, let me know you stopped by, or tell me which houseplants I should get next!

See you next time!
– Akshay

The views expressed in this blog are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the University of Victoria. I monitor posts and comments to ensure all content complies with the University of Victoria Guidelines on Blogging.