I’m always reading about new techniques that will help me reduce stress on a daily basis.
I love learning about how stress affects our daily lives and I enjoy finding ways to reduce the impacts of stress.
From finances and health concerns to lengthy to-do lists, there are numerous sources of strain in the lives of most people. We are living in this era of constant new technology and fast-paced evolution, it’s no surprise we are always overstimulated, constantly plugged in and stressed.
We need techniques to help us decompress and regain focus on our well-being.
According to a survey conducted by Wakefield Research, 68% of people feel stress on a weekly basis and 32% are stressed every day. Women, in particular, are impacted, as 25% surveyed reported experiencing stress multiple times a day. Chronic stress can lead to or exacerbate mood disorders like anxiety, depression, bipolar, cognitive & behavioral issues.
So what can we do to help minimize the impacts of stress in our daily lives?
Flowers!
A surprisingly simple way to relieve stress is not a new gadget or an app, it’s not a new drug or a new type of exercise. It’s simply flowers.
I love flowers! As you see I have lots of pretty photos of flowers on this site, they make me smile and feel happy and I wasn’t even aware of this new research until today.
New research from the University of North Florida’s Department of Public Health shows that living with flowers can significantly alleviate daily stress.
These findings follow decades of behavioral research studies conducted by researchers at universities including Harvard, Rutgers and Texas A&M that demonstrate flowers’ ability to make people happy, strengthen feelings of compassion, foster creativity, improve your mood and even provide boosts of energy.
The study, titled The Impact of Flowers on Perceived Stress Among Women, concludes that adding flowers to indoor environments results in a statistically significant and meaningful reduction in stress.
“There is a growing body of research that illustrates how environmental design positively impacts health,” said the lead researcher Erin Largo-Wight, Ph.D., associate professor of the University of North Florida’s Department of Public Health. “Now it is both intuitive and scientifically known that adding elements of nature, like flowers, to interiors promotes well-being.”
The specific results include:
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The average reduction in stress among women who received and lived with flowers was minus-5.5 points on the perceived stress questionnaire, a significant statistical decrease in stress.
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Flowers are a unique gift with the proven potential to reduce stress among women, likely because flowers provide the opportunity for nature contact, an established health-promoting environmental exposure.
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Participants who received flowers overwhelmingly reported that flowers improved their moods.
“Our findings are important from a public health perspective because adding flowers to reduce stress does not require tremendous effort to generate a meaningful effect,” Largo-Wight said. “When life seems to be in a constant state of frenzy, flowers can provide a much-needed moment of calm.”
For more information about the study, along with tips on relieving stress, visit aboutflowers.com
I always enjoyed admiring pretty flowers, big or small gardens with different types and colors of flowers and little did I know that by doing this simple task I was improving my well-being.
It’s been proven and it actually works! What a nice habit to keep!
Have you stopped to enjoy the flowers today?
Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!
Source: Society of American Florists
What is in a name? Does it help that my name is a flower? That’s a lovely idea, so simple yet so full of impact. I must confess flowers do make me happy but I prefer live and uncut. I have a few potted orchids that bloom atleast twice a year indoors. Roses just outside the front door for maximum happy effect , 3/4 seasons, though I didn’t know flowers are a great source of stress relief at the time we planted them. Great post. Thank you for this.
Orchids are so beautiful and my absolute favourite, Daisy! I’m so happy you enjoyed the post!