People have been cultivating flowers for centuries. There was no exact data available when the activity started, but we know that the floral trend has been around for ages. Cultivating flowers has been an ever-growing hobby, especially in a post-pandemic time. Whether it’s for special occasions or as a way to freshen up your room, flowers are all around us. With so much going on in our daily lives, living in cities has put us away from nature. Yet, we all know how powerful biophilia is to the mind, and as such, the emotional impact of flowers cannot be understated.
Flowers and mental health help deal with depression and anxiety
Available natural stimuli
The relaxing effect of natural stimuli is considered advantageous. Many people are thus attracted to the physiological and psychological relaxing effect of being exposed to nature. Flowers have long-term emotional benefits.
There are many studies of the psychological effects of exposure to flowers, but none have objectively studied such exposure’s physiological effects. Flower arrangements can improve the stress in our daily life through color and smell alone. For example, even with a red rose, you can say that it is associated with love and affection, instilling such thoughts when seen. A white rose, on the other hand, is linked to peace and harmony. We have these inherent beliefs and ideas on what flowers symbolize can — believe it or not — drastically improve mood and overall mental well-being.
Flowers tend to reduce negative emotions, blood pressure, and cortisol release. Research has proven this via activation in certain brain regions with the presence of flowers. Viewing flowers or flower-like patterns induce automatic distraction from stressors and reduce amygdala-hippocampus activation and negative emotion, thereby downregulating physiological response.
Flower arrangements
Having flower arrangements in your home can create an inviting atmosphere. They foster comfort and a sense of freedom, which is why flower arrangements are frequently seen at weddings and funerals. Flower arrangements bring a touch of nature into daily life and offer people reminders of the beauty that lies out there.
There are three ways by which flower arrangements can affect our emotional health:
- They increase happiness — The gift of giving flowers to our loved ones shows affection or gratitude. It boosts happiness, with its bloom inducing a positive and a growth feeling.
- They bring things together — By keeping flowers as centerpieces or at strategic locations in the house or wedding halls acts as focal points in your home.
- They increase bodily functions — There is a study where hospitals received flowers. This act alone helped to enhance the recovery rate for many patients.
Bringing nature into habitable spaces
Studies show that plants and flowers in indoor spaces add color and texture. Various patterns formed by the flowers and their exposure to their immediate surroundings offer a stimulating effect on one’s mind. Indoor plants and the views to the outside from the windows are good examples of the contact with nature obtainable from within a room.
Even videos and images of flowers can have a soothing effect on our psyche. It has been proven that brain activity increases through flowers, triggering calmness. It is important to make flowers part of our lives for all of these reasons, always keeping sustainability in mind.
