home office Archives

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.

You can follow her adventures on Instagram: @the_goodish_traveler or her website: TheGoodishTraveler.com

> > > Stay well.

Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman

The current climate can feel like a weird and uncertain time with school closures, work-from-home orders and shelter-in-place mandates. Sometimes things can feel out of our control. The important thing to focus on during this unprecedented time is what you can control. Currently, many of us are self-isolating in our homes and wondering how to fill our days when we’re not sitting in front of our computers. Making some progress on the projects you’ve always wanted to do around your house can drastically improve your mental and emotional health. By decluttering your living environment, you can begin to feel more in control, less stressed and more at peace with your space. An organized and pleasing home can really give us a breath of fresh air right now!

Follow these 5 tips to get home on its way to a Pinterest® worthy before-and-after shot:

1. STREAMLINE YOUR CLOSETS

Take out whatever you don’t wear or don’t want. Closets tend to gather extra junk because it’s out of sight, out of mind—but don’t let your closet be what’s making you hold onto a lot of unnecessary stuff. While you’re going through your closets, take out everything-shoes, jackets, purses, hats, scarves, etc. and lump it all together. It helps to visualize what you actually own. Try to pare down your wardrobe to simple categories. That can help to weed out clothes that don’t really have a place or a reason for being in your closet. When your closet is easy to access and your clothes easy to find, you’ll be feeling decidedly more relaxed.

2. ORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN CABINETS

This is one that gets easily forgotten and easily overrun pretty quickly. We tend to think we’ll use a kitchen gadget only to find it six months later in the back of the cabinet. Donate those extra plates, cups, bowls or utensils that you no longer need or want to your local thrift store. Many college students would love to have your gently used kitchenware. BONUS: Not having Tupperware® constantly tumbling out of your cabinets will be a welcome relief.

3. GO THROUGH YOUR FRIDGE

The fridge can often be an overlooked area because we become used to seeing the same stuff in there day after day. Old condiments and leftovers have a tendency to pile up. So get in there and toss all those expired condiments, food or beverages hiding in the depths of your Frigidaire®. You’ll be surprised by how good you feel when you open up the fridge door to see organized, tidy shelves with no expired ketchup bottles.

4. ORGANIZE & DECLUTTER YOUR HOME OFFICE

Now that the majority of us are currently working from home, having an organized work space can definitely make you feel more productive, less stressed and more focused. Try creating a designated work area if you don’t have a home office. Not only will having a tidy, dedicated work area make you feel less distracted, you’ll also feel more in control of your emotional health while working from home.

5. SPEND TIME IN YOUR YARD

If you’re able to, take a break and go step outside. Getting some much needed vitamin D while you’re gardening, working on a project or even mowing the lawn can help your emotional and mental wellbeing improve tremendously. Now is the time to finally build your raised plant beds or declutter that garage. You’ll feel accomplished and happy to have finally gotten it done!

CONCLUSION

This time in our lives is a collectively stressful time. Try to utilize this moment to focus on physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Begin with the exterior and the changes will begin to affect the interior as well. Decluttering your home can also help to declutter your mind. Take the time to unwind and focus on a project today. You’ll be so glad you did!

Cover photo by Thought Catalog
Additional images courtesy of contributor

You can follow her adventures on Instagram: @the_goodish_traveler or website: TheGoodishTraveler.com