Indoor plants are becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. Not only do they improve the look of your space – they can even improve your mental health.

What if you could create a great atmosphere in your home in a way that was also good your mental health – all in one fell swoop? Well, look no further than indoor plants.

Like insuring your home with Bupa, indoor plants are a no brainer. Along with being beautiful to look at – adding drama as an accent piece, or simply softening an area – research has also shown that they can have a positive effect on your mood.

In fact, a 2020 study published in the journal Environmental Research found that students at home during the COVID-19 pandemic had better mental health outcomes when exposed to indoor greenery. While another study revealed that the act of tending to plants can be calming and prevent negative thoughts.

With that in mind, it’s little wonder indoor plants are becoming increasingly popular with people, young and old.

Want to add indoor plants to your home?

If you’re yet to visit your local nursery and bring a little green into your house or apartment, here are four quick steps to help kick-start the process:

1. Walk around your space and take note of any empty spots or areas which lack interest that could benefit from having a plants or two.
2. Adding plants is great, but only if there’s room. So if making plants work inside your home is your priority, try and reduce any existing clutter first.
3. Consider size. Do you want to go big and create drama and impact? Or do you want to keep it small and delicate? Factoring in things like how much furniture you have, or how high your ceilings are, should help guide your decision.
4. Speak to the team at your local nursery and get advice on which plants might be right for you. Do you get a lot light inside your home? How green are your thumbs – can you see yourself sparing time to maintain your new plants? Do you have pets or young kids and need to avoid any poisonous species?

Can’t decide on an indoor plant species?

While the notoriously difficult fiddle leaf fig may be a little advanced for someone’s first foray into indoor plants, here are a few easy-to-care-for options worth checking out:

• Mother in law’s tongue
• Peace lily
• Succulents and cacti
• Heartleaf philodendron
• Devil’s ivy
• Zanzibar gem

Indoor plants are a win-win solution for beautifying your home and improving your mental health, all at the same time. And you never know: using plants for mental health may just grow into a brand new hobby.