Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman
Now that many of us are spending so much time in our homes, social media has become flooded with creative, Pinterest-worthy photos of plant-filled home offices and living spaces. But what are the top tricks and benefits to creating your own, personal jungle? For starters, having indoor plants has been proven to help reduce air pollutants, stress and potential toxins in your home. They’ve also been shown to help boost creativity and productivity up to 15 percent.
Interested in cultivating your green thumb? Check out these top tips for promoting self-care with plants in your very own home.
TOXIN REDUCING PLANTS
Now more than ever, many of us are trying to create healthy, happy spaces that we can enjoy spending extra time in. Having indoor plants not only amplifies the visual appeal of your home, but can also help to remove toxins and carbon dioxide. Try these plants to help improve your environment.
- Snake Plant: This slow-growing toxin remover is a great addition for any houseplant newbie. Requiring minimal light and little water, you’ll be able to love this one for years to come.
- Aloe Vera: From the succulent family, this carbon dioxide converter requires little water but does enjoy a lot of indirect sunlight. Not only does it produce a good amount of oxygen for your home, you can use it on sunburns too.
- Spider Plant: The spider plant is known to reduce pollutants and pump out oxygen. While they are exceedingly easy to care for, they do prefer bright light.
PRODUCTIVITY BOOSTING PLANTS
Feeling a little unmotivated? Incorporating plants into your work area has been shown to give your brain a boost! Try adding these plants to help increase concentration and create a calming environment that produces a positive workspace.
- Rosemary: Increasing your focus, this plant needs bright sunlight and consistent watering. Place it near a window and take in the herbaceous scent to increase your concentration.
- Philodendron: This easygoing addition to your workspace can thrive in either low or bright light with consistent waterings. Helping to soften the edges of any angular office, try putting this plant up on a shelf and enjoy feeling more at ease and ready to work.
- Parlor Palm: Not really feeling like working today? If you have ample space in your home office, this large potted palm can help give you a boost of creativity and fresh air. It even made NASA’s list of best plants to have in your home!
MOOD ENHANCING PLANTS
The practice of taking care of ourselves as well as something else can help to boost your mood, reduce stress and create a feeling of contentment. Especially now, our environment can play a huge role in our self-care journey and feelings of happiness. Try out these plants to help clear your mind and bring you some peace.
- Lavender: Long known to help ease tensions and stress, this calming herb loves to be in small places. This aromatherapeutic plant is sure to lull you into a state of blissful relaxation.
- Lily of the Valley: This not fussy, drought tolerant plant has been known to boost moods simply with it’s fragrance. Try putting a small potted lily of the valley in your living room to create a positive environment.
- Valerian: The slumber inducing valerian loves sun and regular waterings. This useful plant is perfect for bedrooms as it’s known to help banish insomnia and help you get some much needed sleep.
C O N C L U S I O N
Self-care isn’t just keeping fit and eating a nutritious diet, it’s also about taking into account your environment and its impacts on your physical and emotional health. Incorporating the right plant(s) into your space can have positive, healthful impacts. Try bringing some of these houseplants home today and watch your life bloom!
All photos courtesy of @cozy.happy.home
About the Author:
Georgia native Tiffany Ammerman is the thru-hiker and CrossFitter behind the travel blog The Goodish Traveler. She spends the majority of her time traveling, eating sushi and searching for hiking trails. When she's not blogging, Ammerman can be found training at CrossFit LaGrange and teaching art to kids.
> > > Stay well.
In honor of Earth Day, we sat down for a quick Q&A with Theza, the Director of Operations at LIFEAID Beverage Co., to discover what environmentally friendly practices are used by the local Santa Cruz company.
Q: How long have you worked for LIFEAID, and what is your role?
A: I'm Theza. I have been with the company since 2012, and am currently the Director or Operations; though, I also work in Research & Development and love my job(s).
Q: Why are all LIFEAID blends produced in cans (instead of glass or plastic)?
A: Plastic can only be recycled a couple of times before it deteriorates and is no longer usable, then it hits the landfill or enters the soil in the form of pollutive microplastics. While both glass and aluminum are much more earth-friendly due to being infinitely recyclable, aluminum is lightweight yet strong, as well as being light-proof to help keep our products tasting fresh.
Q: What’s the production process for an aluminum LIFEAID can?
A: Here's a short video of the can production process:
Q: What is the impact of cans and how can consumers help reduce protect our environment?
A: Americans throw away more than $700 million worth of aluminum cans every year, and only 55% of aluminum cans are recycled. Plus, only 11 states have a recycling program. Please encourage yourself and others to use the recycling bin versus a garbage can, whether at home or out in public.
Q: What’s one fun aspect of your job that most people don’t know about?
A: The fact that I get to help create the flavors of all of our products. Fun super-nerd fact: I love seeing what my palate tastes and how it's translated into chemistry formulas. Adjective words like sweet, punchy and tangy all have an actual chemical reaction by which they are created.
Q: What do you love most about working for an eco-conscious company like LIFEAID?
A: As a start up, all of us were from different industries not related to manufacturing or beverages/dietary supplements. I think this is also what makes us great! Each of us at LIFEAID is constantly learning and sharing with each other based on our past experiences and education beyond just the beverage industry.
Please remember to reduce, reuse, recycle and stay healthy, everyone!
> > > Stay well.
The LIFEAID Beverage Co. staff took to the streets and beaches of their local community in Santa Cruz, California, this past Friday, April 19, in honor of Earth Day. With trash bags and grabbers in hand, the crew walked the 3-mile loop to the beach area from their office headquarters in the Old Wrigley building off Mission Street. Employees brought family members & friends to help take part in the clean-up efforts which lasted from 4-6:30 p.m., providing some good clean (albeit dirty) fun for all.
"It's important that we all do our part every day to help give back and protect Mother Earth from the litter and trash that all-too-often lines our streets and park trails," said one team member.
At LIFEAID, we like to live by the rule "Pack it in, pack it out," and we encourage others to do the same. This Earth Day, we hope you find your own fun way to support local eco-systems and make the world a cleaner place for future generations.
HAPPY EARTH DAY!
—Your Team at LIFEAID
Co-founders Orion Melehan & Aaron Hinde led the charge for LIFEAID Beach Clean-Up Day.
©Above photos courtesy of LIFEAID in-house photographer Abby Clayden. All rights reserved.
> > > Live well.