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Companion FOOD | DRINK | MUSIC | BOOKS | HEALTH | FINANCE | LIFESTYLE | GARDENING The Universe Catholic Weekly’s guide to the more leisurely side of life LIFESTYLE Loving life on a narrowboat TAKING TO THE WATERS: THE TRUTH ABOUT NARROWBOAT LIFE The idea of selling up, taking to the waters and making a new life aboard a boat appeals to a lot of people. Narrowboats and canal boats have a rich and interesting history as well as a huge community around the country. Whether you already have a narrowboat you use on holidays, or are thinking of buying one to live in full-time, it is certainly a great adventure to embark on. Yet it’s one you’ll want to think through carefully before going ahead. The positives of the narrowboat life Cruising on your own private boat, which also doubles up as your home, sounds like a romantic and fascinating adventure. And for many people, it has the following positives and advantages over the regular city or even village life. Freedom The chance to escape from the clutches of society and live your own way is certainly appealing. Living aboard a boat means you can essentially live where you want and move your boat to new locations as you see fit. Your boat may also mean you can live in areas that may have been too expensive for you to consider when living in traditional housing. You can also get closer to nature than ever before with ducks, swans and geese becoming your neighbours and travel companions. Home from home travel There’s nothing as nice as being able to travel with all your worldly possessions alongside you. You’ll never have to worry about forgetting something important or needing to pick up items you have left at home but need for your travels. Most modern narrowboats have all your home comforts, with washing machines, fridges and cookers all on board. And the negatives.... the things that you need to keep in mind before cruising off Switching to life on Britain’s waterways is a big step, however, and perhaps not for everyone. There are some considerations and potential downsides to keep in mind: Cold and damp You need to maintain your boat well to ensure the cold and dampness are kept under control. Ensure you have a quality heating system and, while some damp is inevitable, you can keep it at bay with good insulation and ventilation. Limited privacy If you’re quite a private person, then you may not enjoy living in close quarters, even with your closest friends and family. There isn’t often much private space aboard a narrowboat, so you have to be comfortable spending all your time with those you’re living with. Maintenance costs Maintaining your boat so it can be lived in and keep you cruising is a cost you cannot avoid. Of course, this isn’t anywhere near as much as you may spend on a traditional house, but it is a cost you have to incur and plan for. Tight Space The most difficult thing to get used to, if you’re used to living in a traditional home, is the minimal storage space you have to live with. You’ll have to downsize in advance if you’re making a big change or consider storage for most of your belongings. The chance to spend your days on the water is something that can be a real bucket list dream. If you’re committed to it, it can be a fulfilling and enjoyable way of living from which you may never want to return. Improved fitness You may not realise until you get started, but living on a boat requires a fair amount of physical exercise as you walk towpaths, move the locks and fetch and carry supplies from your boat. It keeps you active and busy. Exploration On the water, you can explore locations and see amazing sights in a way which isn’t always possible from land. You can cruise past beautiful rural countryside, cultural cities and other locations at your own pace. “The benefits include improved fitness, a new sense of freedom and a chance to explore the local countryside – and all that nature has to offer... but the down sides include a lack of space and privacy, maintenance costs and the cold and damp...”
The Universe Catholic Weekly | Friday, 30th September 2022 Advertising: Andrea Black – advertising@universecatholicweekly.co.uk | Circulation sales: Michelle Jones – sales@universecatholicweekly.co.uk 33 COMPANION GARDENING Houseplants: nature’s own doctor Lauriane Suyin Chalmin-Pui For those of us without access to outside green space, houseplants are a stylish and affordable way of getting a nature fix. Alongside looking nice, indoor plants actually have several other perks – the biggest benefit of which could be improving your mental health. And the good news is you don’t need to be a selfprofessed “plant parent” to experience these benefits either. One in eight UK households don’t have access to any kind of garden. Young people and those from minority ethnic backgrounds are among those least likely to have a garden. Not having access to nature can have a number of effects on our health. It’s been linked to symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as other health conditions, such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, and poor immune function. For many of us, houseplants are an essential link to nature. Health benefits While there’s not yet a robust body of research on the mental health benefits of houseplants specifically, plenty of studies have shown how beneficial green space and gardening are for mental health. For instance, one study found that people who garden daily have better wellbeing and lower stress levels compared to those who don’t. Gardening also reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety and increases positive emotions to the same extent as biking, walking and eating out. Many of these outcomes are likely to be true of houseplants too. A recent review of 42 studies demonstrates that even just being in the presence of indoor plants can improve mental and physical health. These experiments compared participants doing various activities in rooms with or without plants. The presence of plants saw better performances on cognitive tasks involving focus, sorting or memory recall, greater pain tolerance when holding hands in ice cold water, and lower levels of physiological stress. Interestingly, the aesthetic appearance of plants is important too, with separate research showing that people tend to react more positively to lush, green plants with rounded and denser foliage. Emotional benefits But most of these studies are centred around the mere presence of plants. From research on the benefits of gardening, we can assume that caring for houseplants will bring out many more emotional benefits – such as pride, social connection, satisfaction, fascination, mental resilience in times of stress, and may even help you heal from past trauma. There are plenty of other reasons owning houseplants is beneficial for you. Pollutants traps Plants can remove pollutants such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide (from nearby traffic), fine particles (from dust) and volatile organic compounds (from air fresheners, cooking and cleaning). For people indoors for the majority of the day, indoor air quality is hugely important. High concentrations of carbon dioxide can reduce cognitive performance (such as concentration and memory recall) while prolonged exposure to other indoor pollutants can cause long-term health problems – ranging from minor eye or throat irritations to respiratory problems and cancer. But removing a meaningful quantity of indoor pollutants would require a lot of plants in a very bright room – something unrealistic for most people. If you do want to give it a try, plants with a high leaf area – such as an India rubber tree (Ficus elastic) or devil’s ivy (Epipremnum aureum) are your best bet. In theory, plants can also help increase indoor air humidity. Most of our buildings are too dry. Keeping humidity in an optimal range can prevent the spread of viruses, fungal growth, as well as eye, skin and nose dryness. Though dependent on other conditions in the room like size, light, and airflow, some of the best plants for increasing humidity are English ivy (Hedera helix), Devil’s ivy (Epipremnum aureum) and Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum). You don’t need a green thumb to enjoy success with houseplants. Gardening is all about learning through trial and error, and even the most seasoned gardeners make mistakes. Indeed, not all plants will thrive everywhere – and some may struggle through infestations, won’t adapt to light or water conditions, and die. Try not to get hung up on this setback. It’s always worth trying again, perhaps with a different species and armed with more botanical knowledge. Each plant has different requirements, so look for plants that are suited to the conditions in your home. You may even want to find plants that actually thrive on neglect. Some of the best options for beginners are the spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), the parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans), and anything in the cactus and succulent families, such as the zebra cactus (Haworthia) or the jade plant (Crassula ovata). Growing herbs is also a cheap and useful starting point for beginners. There are also apps out there that can help make it easier for you to care for your plants, by giving you advice, reminders and a forum to ask questions. Owning houseplants can have a range of benefits for our health – especially mental health. It can also be a great hobby that always teaches you something new, encourages selfexpression – choosing and caring for plants –, and gives you a tangible sense of fulfilment. Lauriane is a Wellbeing Postdoctoral Fellow with the Royal Horticultural Society, University of Sheffield
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