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The COVID lock down<br />
of 2020 affected us all<br />
differently in many ways,<br />
some positive and some<br />
negative. For me, I found<br />
and cultivated a love of<br />
houseplants. They became<br />
a great way to cope with<br />
my own mental health. I<br />
never stopped my work<br />
as a therapist during the<br />
lockdown. Instead, I just<br />
switched to Telehealth<br />
sessions to provide my<br />
clients with continued<br />
mental health help. I had to<br />
find my own ways to cope<br />
at the very least so I could<br />
support my own clients and<br />
family. I found taking care<br />
of my houseplants greatly<br />
reduced my stress and also<br />
created these lovely spaces<br />
in my home that I found<br />
myself enjoying everyday.<br />
I always have known that<br />
green plants will put extra<br />
oxygen into the air which<br />
was a benefit I had begun<br />
to explore before the<br />
pandemic. I also knew that<br />
with more oxygen in the<br />
air that cognitive abilities<br />
would also be improved.<br />
There has been study after<br />
study completed over the<br />
last few decades that also<br />
proves these facts—that<br />
people and plants are<br />
naturally connected.<br />
The review data, collected<br />
and analyzed by researchers<br />
Charles Hall and Melinda<br />
Knuth at Texas A&M<br />
University and published in<br />
the Journal of Environmental<br />
Horticulture, 1 supports<br />
the notion that living in or<br />
near green spaces, and<br />
spending as much time as<br />
possible in both natural<br />
settings and cultivated<br />
gardens can improve<br />
mood, reduce the negative<br />
effects of stress, encourage<br />
physical activity and<br />
other positive behaviors,<br />
improve cognition, reduce<br />
aggression, and enhance<br />
overall well-being in people<br />
of all ages under many<br />
different circumstances.<br />
Through research, people<br />
have found that spending<br />
time in natural settings can<br />
reduce stress by slowing<br />
down heart rate, reducing<br />
high blood pressure, and<br />
lowering anxiety. 2 People<br />
also experienced reduced<br />
symptoms of depression<br />
and were better able to<br />
focus and concentrate<br />
on a test of their working<br />
memory after a walk in<br />
nature compared with one<br />
in an urban setting. Short<br />
nature breaks increase<br />
well-being and improve<br />
attention span, working<br />
memory and cognitive<br />
functioning in children as<br />
well as adults. Students and<br />
employees with a view of<br />
nature, either<br />
indoors or right outside<br />
their windows, were not<br />
only found to be more<br />
productive but also more<br />
alert, more attentive, more<br />
relaxed, in better moods<br />
as well as having increased<br />
creativity.<br />
Seeing plants around<br />
my space gave me<br />
something to smile about<br />
and increased my positive<br />
emotions. When my job<br />
moved to Telehealth, being<br />
focused on a computer<br />
screen led to quite a bit<br />
of mental fatigue. Even<br />
the act of watering them<br />
was soothing and gave me<br />
something to focus on and<br />
helped me get out of my<br />
own head. I found myself<br />
loving when my plants<br />
would sprout new leaves<br />
and learning about what<br />
each needed to thrive.<br />
There was definitely some<br />
trial and error and I have<br />
lost quite a few through<br />
the learning process.<br />
Houseplants have also<br />
been helpful in teaching<br />
myself to have compassion<br />
when my plants don’t do<br />
well. If this has been your<br />
experience don’t<br />
let this stop you from<br />
trying again.<br />
Just like I was learning<br />
how to take care of my<br />
own plants (and myself),<br />
I continue to encourage<br />
my clients and others to<br />
keep learning about their<br />
own healing. This work<br />
is ongoing, but you have<br />
the strength within to get<br />
through this. Learn as much<br />
as you can about your<br />
own habits, triggers, how<br />
you cope, your support<br />
network, and how to<br />
practice self-care. Just like<br />
plants, we humans need<br />
nourishment: get some<br />
Vitamin D, a healthy diet,<br />
exercise, sleep, etc. During<br />
the repotting process, you<br />
may have to trim away any<br />
dead pieces that are no<br />
longer contributing to the<br />
plant’s growth. Doing this<br />
can serve as a reminder<br />
of your own growth: as<br />
you approach different<br />
life stages, you sometimes<br />
have to let go of who or<br />
what may be stopping<br />
you from thriving. It’s a<br />
reminder to always keep<br />
going and keep growing.<br />
REFERENCES<br />
1. Hall C and Knuth M. An update<br />
of the literature supporting the<br />
well-being benefits of plants: A<br />
review of the emotional and mental<br />
health benefits of plants. Journal of<br />
Environmental Horticulture. March<br />
2019; 37(1).<br />
2. psychologytoday.com/us/<br />
blog/cravings/201909/11-waysplants-enhance-your-mental-andemotional-health<br />
3. Salingaros, Nikos. Biophilia &<br />
Healing Environments. Healthy<br />
Principles for Designing the Built<br />
World. (Terrapin, Bright Green<br />
LLC. 2015.)<br />
Therapy Is For Everyone.<br />
Ferren Family Counseling<br />
Call To Schedule Your Appointment: 901-498-9126 <strong>Mid</strong>town & Cordova Locations
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