Nature is amazing in thousands of ways, but one of my favorites is how you can bring nature into your home and reap the benefits of doing so; how houseplants adapt to their environment sharing their benefits to boost our moods and get some free aromatherapy going at the same time.
Here’s a list of nine plants you can add to your house decor that even someone with the blackest thumb will be able to take care of.
1. Geranium
These beautiful and fragrant flowers don’t need a ton of care and can grow indoors as long as there is a place with direct sunlight.
It’s said that their rose-like fragrance brings peace and clarity of mind, it also helps with pain reduction and anxiety given its calming effects. Imagine the scent as a mood sweetener, making everything a little easier to manage.
Learn how to grow geraniums indoors.
2. Lavender
Quite possibly the holy grail of both easy to care after plants as well as those with additional mood enhancing awesomeness.
Lavender will grow just about anywhere as long as it isn’t too cold and requires minimum care, just water sparingly and place it near a window and you’ve got yourself a lavender plant. If you’re into feeling relaxed, calm and stress free then this is the plant for you!
Brush your fingers slightly against the flowers and your room will be instantly filled with the scent. It’s also a fantastic sleeping aid.
Learn how to grow lavender indoors.
3. Rosemary
Since it’s also a super common ingredient in the kitchen, rosemary is a perfect addition to any household. It was used by Roman priests in religious ceremonies which isn’t surprising since it is used to focus the mind and keep it from wandering, which makes it easier to avoid intruding thoughts and anxiety.
Many cultures also consider it an aide against evil spirits, possibly because of those same anxiolytic properties, mixed with the benefit of helping with memory issues and common colds. It’s still used by students during exam time to this day to help with memory!
While it thrives outdoors, you can enjoy some indoor rosemary as long as you find a way to get enough sunlight to the plant. And another tip: only water when the top soil is dry.
Learn how to grow rosemary inhouse.
4. Holy basil
Another kitchen herb that has been used for centuries and for good reason. The compounds linalool and eugenol found in basil leaves serve as a slight relaxant or sedative and an anti-inflammatory respectively; they also smell delicious which is why we use this herb in so many dishes.
Eating a couple of basil leaves everyday can help decrease your stress levels, increase libido, uplift your spirits and can make you feel more loving, romantic and closer to others. All for the price of a small potted basil on your window sill!
Learn how to grow holy basil indoors.
5. Lemongrass
If you’re feeling defeated and helpless, lemongrass is exactly what you should be looking into. Enhancing feelings of safety, hope and strength, this fragrant herb has been used in different Asian and American cultures to help with a platitude of issues.
Clip a bit of a leaf and roll it around in your hands, then take a long, deep breath and exhale slowly; you’ll feel rejuvenated in no time.
Although it needs a sizable pot, lemongrass does fabulously indoors and is incredibly resilient. Added bonus? It’s a natural pesticide so it’ll act as a bodyguard for the rest of your plants!
Learn how to grow lemongrass indoors.
6. Spearmint, peppermint and mint
The entire family of mints are gently stimulating while at the same time relaxing so you get a superb mood elevation.
Try to think of emotions as hot and cold, think of those the run hot: anger, frustration, excess emotions. Mints cool those emotions a bit, so if you’re in need of a calming, chilling plant which you can also use in the kitchen for teas and dishes, the mint family are your best bet.
This is another group of plants that grow best outside since they’re underground runners – meaning they trail their roots underground and try to expand – but can easily be kept indoors as long as you trim them to avoid them getting huge.
Learn how to grow peppermint indoors.
7. Roses
While most roses are fond of being outside since they are bushes, there are a few miniature rose varieties that love being indoors!
Beside the exorbitant cuteness factor, roses just like rosemary above have the ability to improve your concentration and focus but have also been proven to create happiness and positivity.
Their smell makes your brain produce dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin, which makes you happy, excited and can even give you that butterfly feeling in your stomach.
Learn how to grow roses indoors.
8. Honeysuckle
More specifically, European honeysuckle or woodbine. If you’re feeling kind of down, sad or if you’re fighting depression and need a little extra help, this little plant can be your ally.
As it turns out, honeysuckle isn’t only a super fragrant and sweet flower, it can also help with mood disorders and chronic pain.
Learn how to grow Honeysuckle indoors.
9. Lemon balm
Last but not least, a sweet little herb that is part of the mint family but deserves its own spot in the countdown. Lemon bam is a super strong, resistant and resilient plant – it might come back twice as tough when cut – which has been regarded for a long time as a mental health and emotional boost.
Focus, clarity, mental balance, problem solving and alertness are the main perks of lemon balm. It increases the production of acetylcholine -a neurotransmitter- in the brain as well as blood flow, both of which will perk you up and hype up your brain to make you capable of navigating your day with a clear head.
Learn how to grow Lemon balm plant indoors.
Most herbal remedies have been shared from generation to generation, in turn supporting scientific studies which have confirmed some of the benefits we’ve long known about which begs the question: Do you have any favorite plants that help brighten your day?
As usual, please remember to look into each plant before acquiring, especially if they will be living amongst children or pets since some of these species can be poisonous. And never, ever try to treat mental health problems without professional help, while the benefits of aromatherapy and plants have been proven, they are no substitute for professional help.
