For many amidst this pandemic, social distancing has turned into a long bout of social isolation that feels never-ending. Luckily, houseplants are great companions and pastimes for social isolation. Here are 3 reasons you should invest in houseplants during lockdown.
1. Plants Boost Mental Health
The increasingly popular hypothesis of Biophilia explains the psychological benefits of plants as coming from humankind’s evolutional roots. Plants are proven to be capable of lowering stress and anxiety levels, boosting cognitive function and creativity, and having antidepressant effects.
We will never be truly healthy, satisfied, or fulfilled if we live apart and alienated from the environment from which we evolved.
-Stephen R. Kellert, Birthright: People and Nature in the Modern World
2. Plants Promote Regular Routine
Under house arrest it’s easy to fall out of routine, and plants can help with that. By investing in houseplants, you are taking on the responsibility of keeping them alive; doing so requires developing and following a plant-care routine. Having a routine for houseplants that need you is an effective way to maintain some normalcy in your day. Routine is also essential for mental health!
3. Plants can be Flexible
From the Fiddle Leaf Fig to Aloe vera, plants have a variety of care requirements that range from extra fussy to un-killable. No matter your living conditions or the kind of commitment you’re looking for, there is a plant out there for you! Here are some popular houseplants to get you started.
The natural world is the refuge of the spirit, remote, static, richer even than human imagination.
-Edward O. Wilson, Biophilia