The Best Indoor Plants To Help Combat Seasonal Depression
Sep 25, 2020 12:57PM ● By Kaitlyn Malone
This year with all the unexpected challenges, it will be especially important to be proactive about taking care of yourself. According to Harvard Medical School, the reduced sunlight and the changing season can trigger a type of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which can begin in the late fall and start to dissipate in early spring. Even if you don't think you are affected by SAD, it’s always important to take care of yourself and do things that make you feel more at peace. One of the most powerful ways of combating depression, sadness, anxiety, and stress, is by being around nature. Research has shown that even observing greenery and plants through a window can help improve recovery times for patients in hospitals. Here is a link to the study.
During the winter months, it’s often more difficult to go outside and for a walk in nature, which is why getting an indoor plant could be a great way to improve your mood and combat seasonal depression! Having plants in the house can also help clean the air making it easier to breathe and therefore may help you sleep, be more rested, and less likely to fall into the winter blues.
Here are 5 of the best indoor plants to combat seasonal depression:
Peperomia Frost
The Peperomia plant varieties are easy to take care of and are also pet friendly! They like humidity and can brighten up any space. They can have uniquely shaped leaves and different coloring. They prefer to be kept moist, so will love it if you give them a quick mist when you can and will thrive in medium indirect light. You can also water this plant roughly once a week.
Bird of Paradise
The Bird of Paradise is a relatively tough plant and is very adaptable to different light conditions from low indirect light to direct sun. However, they will flourish if placed in a sunny spot. This plant is widely considered a champion of the indoor plant world because of its robustness, it’s beauty, and its large size. It can add a tropical aspect to your living space as well with its big glossy leaves. You can water it every one to two weeks!
Philodendron Brasil
This plant is a gorgeous plant that tends toward vining which makes a beautiful addition to a bookshelf, desk, or window seal, where it’s leaves can trail down the side of the furniture. You can even put it in a plant hanger and have the leaves hang over the sides of the pot like a green chandelier. It has lovely heart-shaped leaves and is incredibly forgiving as its ability to handle a variety of conditions and can power through inconsistent care. Philodendron Brasil prefers bright indirect light and water around once a week or once the top half of the soil is dry for ideal care.
Spider Plant
The Spider Plant is an excellent indoor plant to have because it is not only easy to maintain and looks beautiful but they also produce baby plants that are easy to transplant. They look best from a hanging pot near a window so that the bright green leaves can glow in the sunlight and can fan out over the side. You can water your Spider Plant about once a week. They prefer bright direct light but can also live in semi-shady conditions as well.
Croton Petra
The Croton Petra is an absolutely beautiful plant and would be a wonderful addition to your house with its many colors ranging from yellow, red, orange, and green. They prefer humidity so placing them in your bathroom could be an easy way to provide the extra moisture as they will absorb steam in the air when someone takes a shower. They prefer a lot of indirect bright light and you can water them about once a week. If it starts wilting you might be watering too much.
These plants are easy and add beauty to your home and a sense of peace and joy in your life. It can be a learning process to take care of a plant but also so rewarding. Even just start with one plant and see how it goes! To find these plants you can check out the Woodstock Farmers' Market, Roberts Flowers of Hanover, The Co-op, Home Depot, and Gardener's Supply Company.
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