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.
While this has been a time of uncertainty around the world, one thing is certain: social distancing is leading many of us to a revolutionary time as a society, we're witnessing a 'closening' of relationships. People are reflecting on what matters most in their lives, surrounding themselves with the people they love (even if only via FaceTime), appreciating nature, embracing new hobbies, making time for healthy habits, and just taking life at a slower pace in general. The LIFEAID team shares how they are practicing social distancing and embracing all the good things that have come out of this otherwise difficult time.
Wishing everyone health & calm.
—Your LIFEAID family
Aaron (President & co-founder)
- How do you start your day at home?
Keeping the same morning ritual I always have to start my day on the right trajectory has been key: 20 minutes of yoga, my 5-minute journal, Wim Hof breathing, cold shower, Keto coffee, short prayer, 5 minutes of meditation, then off to the virtual office.
. - What does your home fitness routine look like?
Morning yoga and a lot of bodyweight exercises like burpees, air squats and push-ups.
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- What are some staples in your daily nutrition?
I drink lots of IMMUNITYAID, take extra Vitamin C and D daily, and eat clean proteins and veggies.
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- How do you de-stress?
I take time to de-stress by taking walks, breathing, practicing yoga, meditation and grounding.
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- What in your home helps bring you calm?
Going out on my deck, looking out over the woods towards the ocean.
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- What keeps you motivated?
I’ve always been self motivated so don’t need anything extra to stay that way.
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- How do you stay focused with distractions at home?
FOCUSAID and making sure I get through my top priority every day.
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- What activities are you enjoying most during this time?
I honestly love taking walks with the family and discussing current events with my kids.
. - What new hobbies have you started or rekindled a passion for?
Orion has taught me how to DJ so I've been enjoying mixing tracks together. - What's your favorite part of this experience so far?
Social Distancing = Familial Closening
Aaron & his family
Destiny (Email marketing)
- How do you start your day at home?
I wake up a little later (hooray for sleep!), make coffee, open up the windows and start my day.
. - What does your home fitness routine look like?
I have two small dumbbells and my body weight which is all I need! Stretch, do a few circuits of simple exercises (sit-ups, push-ups, squats & burpees) and I’m feeling good.
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- What are some staples in your daily nutrition?
I love snacking on fruits, veggies, whole grains and IMMUNITYAID.
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- How do you de-stress?
Stepping out onto my porch and taking a few deep breathes helps me de-stress ... I turn on some music and forget the world for a minute.
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- What in your home helps bring you calm?
I keep all the lights off in the house and allow only natural lighting in during the day. Something about it is really calming. I also try and keep my space as tidy as possible. A clean house + sunlight coming through the windows = bliss.
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- What keeps you motivated?
Keeping in contact with my LIFEAID family helps. A little midday impromptu dance party never hurts either!
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- What book(s) are you reading right now?
Just grabbed a copy of Call Me By Your Name from the bookstore.
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- What’s your favorite part of this experience so far?
The opportunity to grow as a human being and to be able to really evaluate what’s important to me at the end of the day: my health, my people and humanity.
Sabine (Accounting)
- How do you start your day at home?
I take my dog for a walk down to the beach and check the waves/surf.
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- What does your home fitness routine look like?
I have a small home gym that is taking the temporary place of the FITAID gym at HQ right now. I also use 'Ready State,' an online mobility app, every evening. I still get out in the ocean for my paddle & surf sessions; I have a coach for my racing and we intend to stick to my training plan (even if all the races are cancelled). Sticking to the plan will give me some sense of structure and 'normalcy.'
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What are some staples in your daily nutrition?
My husband and I are doing the 800 gram challenge and plan to keep doing it through this. Fortunately, my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is still running. I fill in the gaps with items from the Farmer’s Market. My pantry is stocked with IMMUNITYAID and FOCUSAID right now. I do rely on protein powder and bars, too, and am happy there is still plenty of that in the stores right now.
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How do you de-stress?
I walk the dog, tend to my little garden, dance or skate around the kitchen, and look at TikTok.
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- What keeps you motivated?
Living in Santa Cruz is motivating. I also love my job, so it's easy to stay motivated to do my work.
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- What is in your home helps bring you calm?
I work by a window where I can see out to our busy street. Watching neighbors and others walk by the house calms me. We are also trying to keep the house tidy. (We already aren't doing a great job of that.)
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- What activities are you enjoying most during this time?
I get to have lunch with my husband and take the dog for a walk. Really loving that.
Hannah (Graphic design)
- How do you start your day at home?
I try to set an alarm every morning and begin each day with some yoga. It helps me wake up and get into 'productive' mode. Practicing yoga puts my mind in a great place, allowing me to stay positive throughout the day.
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- What does your home fitness routine look like?
After I start my day with yoga, I try to do a short circuit workout (at least 10 minutes) around lunch time to get my blood moving. I’ve really enjoyed doing AMRAPs with bodyweight exercises such as squats, burpees, sit-ups, push-ups and lunges. I also invested in some sliders, resistance bands, a kettlebell, and a pair of dumbbells (which are on the way) so I can add some weight to the mix.
. - What are some staples in your daily nutrition?
Lots of eggs, greens (spinach, kale, arugula), bananas, oatmeal, frozen vegetables (they keep much longer), nuts (great for snacking/topping salads) and ground turkey (which I can use in just about anything).
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- How do you de-stress?
Breathe, drink tea and put on a good playlist.
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- What keeps you motivated?
Lists!
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- What in your home helps bring you calm?
It’s not something in my space, but rather it's getting up and taking a lap around my house every 30 minutes or so, to help keep my productivity up and help me re-focus.
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- What activities are you enjoying most during this time?
- Playing Farkle and board games. (If you don’t know what Farkle is, look it up. It’s a lot of fun.)
- Also, cooking with my sister and her girlfriend. I haven’t spent this much time at home with my family in a long time, and we’re growing much closer and our relationships are getting much stronger.
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- What books are you reading right now?
- I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
- Big Magic By Elizabeth Gilbert
. - What’s your favorite part of this experience so far?
- Being able to get creative with my workouts. I’ve always relied on the gym for exercise (I never realized just how much I relied on it until now). This time has allowed me to re-discover my love of running, hiking, yoga and volleyball.
- I’ve been spending quality time with my sister. We were never that close before, so I’m extremely thankful for this time with her.
Hannah, practicing yoga at home
Karis (Field marketing & social media)
- How do you start your day at home?
Once the alarm goes off, I lay in bed for 15 minutes with my pups, then I get up and stretch, make myself some tea and set up my area so I'm ready to tackle work.
- What does your home fitness routine look like?
With my gym closing I’ve been able to do daily strength training workouts with the weights and resistance bands at home. I’ve been able to get my cardio and steps in by walking my dogs. I like to walk them on my lunch time so I can also get some fresh air—it gives me the chance to tackle the rest of my work day with a fresh mind.
. - How do you de-stress?
At home, I'm able to de-stress by going outside for some fresh air or listening to music.
. - What keeps you motivated?
Setting small daily goals so that I can accomplish bigger goals.
. - What activities are you enjoying most during this time?
I’ve been able to spend more time with my dogs, giving them lots of extra cuddles. Also, in our home we’re enjoying classic board games as a family.
Karis & fur friends
Claudia (Operations)
- How do you start your day at home?
My son Damien usually wakes up around 8 or 9am, so I get up around 6 or 7am, drink one full glass of water, turn on my diffuser downstairs in the living room/kitchen area with essential oils in it and go for a run around 6 or 7am. After my run it is nice to come home and smell the essential oils. Once I am home I turn on some music and make breakfast for my husband, my son and myself. My son and I both love starting our day with some good music and doing some fun dancing before we eat breakfast.
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What does your home fitness routine look like?
I go for a run in the morning before my son wakes up. I also try to go for a run with my son (in the stroller) around noon, whenever it's not raining. I received my booty bands just in time (before the in-shelter rule was announced) and now I do some home workouts with my booty bands and some 'mommy & son' workouts. Our family enjoys going outside for a walk together in our neighborhood whenever it is sunny, to get some fresh air and to enjoy Mother Nature.
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What are some staples in your daily nutrition?
- Scrambled eggs with kale, oatmeal mixed with fruit; Chicken, fish, salads, rice, potatoes or other veggies and fruits (mango, strawberries, raspberries, banana)
- Nuts are a great in-between-meals snack.
- Daily Harvest has a variety of smoothies that are packed with a lot of greens: kale, spinach, avocado, cucumber and some other good ingredients like hemp, chia seeds, different fruits, etc.
- I drink a lot of water during the day as well as IMMUNITYAID Wellness Blend to help boost my immune system. Plus, I take a multi-vitamin pill.
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How do you de-stress at home?
I love listening to music and dancing with my son—makes me forget about anything else in that moment.
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- What keeps you motivated?
My son is my biggest motivation since the day he was born. Watching him grow & explore the world while learning new things is a daily reminder to myself to never give up no matter how the circumstances are. He motivates me daily to make the best out of any situation and to enjoy the little things in life. I see the world through his eyes as well and it is nice to forget for a moment all the negative events that happen daily in our world. My son motivates me to keep going and be healthy for myself and him, as well.
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- What in your home helps bring you calm?
Cleaning the house brings me calm. Our household is always clean, but since I have more free-time now, I get to clean more often.
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- What activities are you enjoying most during this time?
We just love nature and walks, listening to music and playing with lego, or making music with my son and his music instruments.
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- What books or music are you reading/listening to currently?
We listen to calming meditation music to relax and find peace during these difficult times. A book that I personally like is Whale Done. (It teaches the reader how to communicate with others to get positive results.)
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- What’s your favorite part of this experience so far?
- The fact that almost everyone gets a break from our hectic daily routine. It is nice to take a break for a moment from everything and focus on what is really important: health and well-being.
- I like that I am able to work from home and be present for my son at the same time.
- I love being able to spend time with my family.
- I love that we have to get creative again in order to not get bored while being stuck in the house.
- This is the time that gives us all a chance to change our view of life and to choose what really matters in life.
Ashley (Sales)
- How do you start your day at home?
I always turn on my Keurig coffee maker right when I wake up, then (weather permitting) I take my pup for his morning walk, stretch and get ready for the day!
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- What does your home fitness routine look like?
With my gym being closed, I purchased some free weights and resistance bands so I can continue to do strength-training workouts. Now my cardio just really includes walking (TRYING to run) with my pup. He’s slowly getting better at the whole running part.
. - How do you de-stress at home?
With my oil diffuser, bubble baths and sometimes some yoga. Oh yeah, also ... WINE!
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- What keeps you motivated?
I just always look at the overall goal. It's crucial around this time to not lose focus on the big picture.
.. - What activities are you enjoying most during this time?
Well, it is just me and my pup, so we get a lot more cuddles in. But when I am social distancing with family and friends, we are playing old-school board games and enjoying some adult beverages.
Katie (Social media)
- How do you start your day at home?
I wake up at my usual time, light a candle and get a ROMWOD® in, then I get ready for my day and make some breakfast. Also, I completely stay away from my phone for the first hour of my day.
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- What does your home fitness routine look like?
Honestly, it’s been tough being a weightlifter yet not able to lift weights right now. The great part of it, however, is that it's forcing me back to my CrossFit® roots and making me work on my endurance. I’ve found that taking my workouts outside has been a game changer.
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- What are some staples in your daily nutrition?
I eat a lot of ground turkey, chicken and lean proteins. One thing I'm enjoying eating more of is greens! I’ve also been eating a lot more fruits lately.
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- How do you de-stress?
I use the app 'Calm' for meditations, read a good book, run a lap around the block, or talk with friends on the phone.
. - What keeps you motivated?
I remember the greater goal, especially when it comes to work. Also, remaining grateful for the fact that I still have a job.
. - How do you stay focused with distractions at home?
One of the main reasons why I chose my apartment was all of the natural light. I open up my blinds first thing in the morning and let the sunshine pour in.
. - What activities are you enjoying most during this time?
Unfortunately, my family is spread out across the United States, but my parents, who live right outside of Nashville, just got an adorable little Corgi/Blue Heeler puppy named Hank and they send me videos of him constantly which makes me smile.
. - What books are you reading currently?
This is a loaded question—I LOVE to read! Some of the books that have inspired me the most are Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, Shoe Dog by Phil Knight and Artisan’s Soul by Erwin McManus. (My favorite authors are Jodi Picoult, Elin Hilderbrand and Emily Giffin.)
. - What’s your favorite part of this experience so far?
Not taking human connection for granted.
Katie, in her home office
Orion (CEO and co-founder)
Orion & daughters in Santa Cruz
The biggest blessing for me during this crazy time of uncertainty has been how much quality time I get to spend with my two beautiful daughters. It's a perfect reminder to us all—never take these moments for granted, they are just waiting to shine through amidst all the chaos.
—Orion Melehan, LIFEAID CEO and co-founder
Need another good excuse to move your body?
LISTEN & DANCE TO DJ ORION'S HOUSE ARREST MIX HERE!
> > > Stay healthy.