In 2010, a Japanese study explored the effects of Shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing.” The study concluded that spending time in nature lowered stress levels, reduced blood pressure, and had an overall relaxing effect on the body. However, most of us spend 85% of our time indoors and can’t wander through a forest every day to destress.
Luckily, houseplants are an easy way to bring the outside in and reap the restorative, calming effects of nature. A study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology showed that active interactions with houseplants—like pruning, touching, and smelling—have the same relaxing and stress-reducing effects as spending time in a forest.