Recently, people around the world have been spending more time at home due to the pandemic, which in return, began making people feel lonely, sluggish and mundane. When I began to experience these feelings in quarantine, I began searching for a way to bring life back into my home.
Throughout my life I have always loved plants, but have lacked a green thumb. Knowing this, I purchased an aloe plant last year as an attempt to become better at taking care of plants and I ended up killing it (yikes).
However, spending more time at home has given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge on how I can be a better plant mom to future plants. Now, my new apartment is blossoming with plants that help me get through my days in more ways than I had anticipated.
Let’s talk about the benefit of houseplants, how I have personally benefited from adopting houseplants and what plants I have currently in my apartment.
House plants have become some- what of a staple in the last decade for many reasons. Not only do houseplants make your home look aesthetically pleasing, but having plants can create a sense of peace throughout your home. Many people know that having indoor plants can help reduce allergens and airborne particles, but plants can help your mental health as well.
Plants, especially colorful ones, are known to lift your spirits and decrease anxiety levels. For someone with anxiety like me, this is huge.
I know when I work long hours inside all day, I begin to feel anxious and down about not being outside, but having houseplants really brings that energy back into me and my work. This in return helps keep a high concentration level in your work space and increases productivity.
Living at home alone and having plants to take care of helps decrease that feeling of loneliness, while also keeping your area alive and filling the void of wanting to nurture. I know for me, there is something about bringing home a new plant, learning how to take care of it and watching it grow that gives me joy.
Having plants has helped me create a routine because I have something I need to take care of in the morning, rather than sitting on my phone or sleeping in longer than I do now. I look forward to taking care of my plants everyday, and as a gift to myself, I buy a new one every month.
If you don’t feel comfortable leaving your house just yet to find your new plants, there is an awesome alternative. I was recently informed about thesill.com, a company that will send you plants based off of your liking and they also offer subscriptions!
By the end of the year, I won’t be surprised if my house is somewhat of a jungle, but currently, my house is filled with mostly cacti and succulents. I am drawn to cacti and succulents because of their different shapes, sizes and colors that keep my space looking interesting.
Once I began to get comfortable with caring for those plants, I moved on to larger ones like my monstera and sansevieria silver queen and I am happy to report all of these plants are still alive and well.
Basically, I want to say if you are struggling through this time and feel low- spirited, give plants a try if you haven’t already (if I can do it, you can). If you have houseplants already, I hope this gave you insight on how your plants might be helping you without you even knowing it.
By: Jordan Johnson
