Welcome to our blog on the Spotted Donkey; a boutique of the most gorgeous and life-like faux flowers and arrangements.
Today, we want to talk about how adding florals to our homes and offices can actually have very positive physical and psychological affects, Put simply, they are good for our physical and mental health. You know how you can just have a different feeling when you walk into someone's home and they have it beautifully decorated with florals how you get a kind of lift and your visit is so much more pleasant than when you walk into a home without them. It may not even register consciously. You just feel more at home. Well, there is actually proof that has been documented scientfically of just how much the addition of florals affects your overall well-being at home, at the doctor's office, or even your own office.
There are several core benefits. The first is that they provide significant stress & anxiety relief.
Take an office that goes from zero decoration to adding even one office plant. A study by the University of Technology Sydney found that placing just one office plant in a workspace led to a 30 to 60% reduction in stress, anxiety, and negative mood states among workers over a three-month period. Staff members left in spaces without any plants recorded a 20% to 40% increase in stress levels during the same timeframe. (APA 7th Edition. Burchett, M., Torpy, F., Brennan, J., & Craig, A. (2010). Greening the great indoors: Potted plants for healthier, more productive workplaces (Final Report - Project No. NY06021). Plants and Indoor Environmental Quality Research Group, University of Technology Sydney.)
Physically, a randomized crossover study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology showed that interacting with houseplants—such as repotting or touching them—"significantly lowers diastolic blood pressure and sympathetic nervous system activity compared to completing everyday computer-based tasks." (APA 7th Edition. Lee, M., Lee, J., Park, B.-J., & Miyazaki, Y. (2015). Interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity in young adults: A randomized crossover study. Journal of Physiological Anthropology).
Taken as a hobby of working with your florals, you can enjoy a great deal of satisfaction which many people find calms them and becomes their way of "recreating" themselves.
A second benefit has to do with what has been termed "Cognitive Restoration & Enhanced Attention."
Psychologists frequently point to Attention Restoration Theory (ART) to explain how plants affect the human brain. Repetitive digital work causes intense mental fatigue. Looking at natural elements like foliage provides "soft fascination"—an effortless form of attention that redirects the brain and allows its depleted focus reserves to replenish. (APA 7th Edition. Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. Cambridge University Press).
Research out of the University of Exeter demonstrated that introducing plants into a lean, sterile office environment boosted staff productivity and concentration by 15%. (University of Exeter - https://news-archive.exeter.ac.uk).
A comprehensive meta-analysis tracked in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) PMC database noted that the presence of indoor greenery significantly correlated with enhanced cognition and academic achievement levels. (APA 7th Edition. Han, Ke-Tsung, Li-Wei Chang, and Yu-Ping Ruan. "Effects of Indoor Plants on Human Functions: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 19, no. 12, 2022, p. 7454).
A third benefit has been termed, "Buffering Isolation" or the "Home Office Effect". During the widespread isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, epidemiologists took a closer look at the home-work environment. A massive cross-sectional study of over 4,000 participants published in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening revealed that ". . . individuals who had vegetation and indoor plants in their home offices experienced significantly higher levels of positive emotions and lower symptoms of depression. The plants provided an active psychological buffer against the emotional strain of confined indoor spaces." (APA 7th Edition. Pérez-Urrestarazu, L., Kaltsidi, M. P., Nektarios, P. A., Markouizi, S., Loges, V., Perini, K., & Fernández-Cañero, R. (2021). Particularities of having plants at home during the confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 59, 126919. doi.org)
A fourth benefit is in workplace and environmental satisfaction. Field studies monitoring real-world office workers show that adding plants directly improves how people view their environment. "Workers report greater workspace satisfaction, a higher sense of privacy, and a perception that their office is significantly more attractive." (APA 7th Edition. De Klerk, R. A., De Klerk, T. S. M., & Van den Berg, A. E. (2023). Effects of indoor plants on office workers: a field study in multiple Dutch organizations. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 28, 33. doi.org)
While working in an office with hundreds of cubicles on a single floor throughout my early career, I can remember noticing how my colleagues decorated their individual spaces. They would have lots of pictures, funny or inspirational meme posters, and many had some sort of plant on their shelves. As I think back, the ones who spent the time and effort to decorate their spaces were usually the ones that had a much more pleasant and positive way of dealing with other colleagues and even their supervisors. We are happier when we can bring even a little sunshine into our normally drab and sterile environments.
At home, when we decorate our personal spaces with our favorite colored peonies or lilacs or hydrangeas, it makes it feel like a real home. You may have even had friends and family comment on how much they love the florals in your home and how it helps in making their visit that much more enjoyable.
That is what we are all about. We want to share this journey with all of you; offering all the beautiful floral and greenery arrangements pre-made and stress-free. We know how hectic your day can be and it is so nice to come home, forget about the chaos of the day, and just relax in a totally immersing environment you can truly call a home.
Join us again tomorrow for more information and experiences. Thanks for joining us today and don't forget to check out our shop at SpottedDonkey.biz!
We believe beautiful homes don't happen because life gets less busy. They happen because we intentionally create moments of peace in the middle of the busyness.
That's why our mission is simple:
We transform busy homes into peaceful sanctuaries.
If our florals help you pause for just a moment, breathe a little deeper, and love your home a little more, then we've accomplished exactly what we set out to do.
Thank you for spending a few minutes with us today. We hope you'll stop by again tomorrow as we continue in helping you create a home you'll love coming back to.