How Plants Affect Your Mood, Spark Creativity and Improve Focus

Do you know that plants in the workplace can boost your creativity, improve mood, increase productivity, and even help with problem-solving?

A study conducted by researchers at Texas A&M University and released by the Society of American Florists (SAF) found that flowers bring a host of benefits, including making people happy and more productive.

According to the study, a workplace with plants and flowers reduces people's negative feelings, anxiety, and boosts energy for both men and women. Plants and flowers also increase people's creativity by 15% or more within the workplace.

“Our research shows that a change as simple as adding flowers and plants can be important to businesses in the modern economy." said lead researcher Roger Ulrich, director of the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University.

"People’s productivity, in the form of innovation and creative problem solving, improved, which in certain circumstances could mean the difference between mild and great business success,” Roger added.

Plants Impact on Workplace and Business Success

When you add plants in your office or workstation, you are not only improving your business' chances for success, but also improving workplace ergonomics. Plants help the workspace feel more homely and increases its attractiveness. Workers report more innovative thinking and creative ideas when they are surrounded by beautiful foliage.

The simple act of watering plants in the office can also help you feel relaxed. Although watering plants only takes a few minutes, it gives workers a break from the mundane and allows them to come back to tasks more refreshed, focused and ready to complete their work.  

The best plants to include in the office are often those that provide a relaxing scent, such as lavender, lilacs and roses. Each of these plants has been shown to help reduce tension and anxiety. When a worker is calm, cool and collected, they are more productive.

Types of Flowers to Improve Mood and Creativity

The type of flowers you add in your office or workstation affect the type of mood you are likely to feel. Flowers that are warm-colored (yellow, orange and red) stimulate the brain and help to boost energy levels. Use these flower colors to increase your creativity and alertness.

If you want  to relax and slow down the release of stress hormones in your body, choose flowers that have the cooler colors like blues and greens. Colors that fall near one another on the color wheel will help make you calm.

Flowers with colors that are on the opposite side of the color wheel like reds will increase your productivity. Introduce flowers with these colors in your arrangements to energize and make you feel relaxed.

The shape of your flowers and arrangements can also affect your mood. Choose flowers with curvy shapes to help you relax, and spiky shapes to energize you. 

You may already be familiar with various essential oils and their applications. Many of those oils are extracted from flowers. Adding flowers from which essential oils are extracted in your office or workstation can bring similar effects on the mind and body. Just as different essential oils will have different effects, so too will different flowers.

Best Indoor Flowers and their Benefits

Flowers have been used for centuries to bring a touch of nature indoors. Science now realizes that the sight and smells of indoor flowers can help improve mood, provide relaxation, and increase creativity.

When choosing a floral arrangement that is both beautiful and functional, freshly cut flowers are best. Fresh flowers will have the most noticeable effect because their color and scent is more potent. And best of all, if you’re looking to save time from going out and getting them yourself, reputable brands like The Bouqs Co can deliver the freshest blooms that you can enjoy longer.

Here are two examples of indoor flowers you can keep around, and the potential benefits they bring:

1. Cypress vine for increased creativity.

^{Red white, pink mixed cypress.}

The cypress is not only a beautiful, star-shaped flower, it is also aromatic, potent and capable of boosting your creativity. Simply admiring the appearance of this natural wonder is enough to spark the creative gene. Creativity is driven further when you start to shape and size the cypress.

These flowers can grow in one of two places. One is on certain trees. The second source, which you can more easily grow in your home, is the cypress vine. These vines are fast growing and bloom several flowers. You will need to continually care for and trim the vine to prevent overgrowth.

The plant's scent emanates from the flower as well as the needle-like leaves. Though the individual scents are different, they come together to create a beautiful aroma that sparks creativity, promotes alertness and increases focus. It is a faily challenging plant to care for indoors, but worth all of the trouble.

2. Lavender for enhanced focus.

^{Lavender flowers in a basket.}

If you want a slightly easier flower to grow indoors, but one that can still improve focus, then you might consider the lavender plant. This is a scent almost everyone is familiar with. It is so popular that it is often used in air fresheners, cleaning supplies and shampoos. It is also one of the most commonly purchased essential oils.

Growing a lavender plant indoors is fairly easy. As with most flowers, the primary concerns for growing lavender are sunlight and water. It is considered a drought resistant plant, but don't expect it to survive too long in low water conditions. Start the growing process outdoors and then slowly transition it indoors over the course of a week.

Which flowers and plants do you have in your space that you would recommend us all to keep? Share in the comments below.