How Plants Can Improve Your Everyday Wellbeing

Houseplants have long fascinated scientists and plant lovers alike, not only for their beauty but for the way they can subtly influence our well-being. Early research and later studies helped spark our understanding of how plants interact with our indoor environments, even if real homes and offices behave very differently from sealed laboratory chambers.

The Connection Between Plants and Health

In 1989, NASA found that common houseplants such as Bamboo palms and English ivy could remove pollutants like benzene and formaldehyde under tightly controlled conditions. Later, the Royal Horticultural Society observed reductions in CO₂ and nitrogen dioxide with plants like Dracaenas and peace lilies, reinforcing public interest in “air-purifying plants.” While real homes and offices don’t behave like sealed test chambers, these studies helped shape our understanding of how plants interact with indoor environments.

Even without replicating laboratory results, indoor plants offer meaningful benefits. They bring colour and calm to a space, create small moments of mindfulness, and support well-being. Research shows they can reduce stress, improve focus, and even contribute to fewer sick days in offices. So even if your spider plant doesn’t filter the air as dramatically as it did in NASA’s lab, its presence still makes your home feel healthier, more balanced, and more uplifting.

Top Plants for an Office

For workspaces, it helps to choose plants that cope well with fluctuating conditions.

Best Office Plants

Dracaena (Snake Plant): These are ideal for busy workspaces. They tolerate most light conditions except deep shade and need very little water, with one watering a month in cooler seasons and two in warmer months. 

Peace Lily: They add softness with their glossy leaves and long-lasting white spathes. They thrive in indirect light and need watering every couple of weeks. Varieties like ‘Silver Streak’ offer attractive striped foliage and bring gentle movement and freshness to any office setting.

How Plants Benefit the Workplace

Research from Wageningen University shows that offices with plants experience fewer sick days and greater comfort, with people feeling more positive, less stressed, and better able to focus. Other studies confirm that even small touches of greenery can boost concentration and overall well-being in busy work environments.

Many mental-health researchers highlight the emotional lift that comes from tending a living thing, especially in high-pressure environments.

Easy Houseplants for Healthy People

In Swiss homes with chilly winters but warm, heated interiors, most sturdy houseplants thrive as long as temperatures stay between 15–22 °C and they’re kept away from cold draughts. Even in spaces with fluctuating conditions or busy routines, some plants adapt especially well.

Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Spider plants handle missed waterings, temperature changes, and low effort with ease. Their striped leaves brighten any room, and mature plants produce small plantlets that can be repotted or shared, making them both easy and generous.

ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

The ZZ plant thrives in low light, dry air, and busy households. Its glossy green leaves stay attractive with very little care, making it ideal for shelves, side tables, or any spot where other plants struggle.

Kentia palm (Howea fosteriana)

Kentia palms bring height and elegance to a space. They prefer bright, indirect light, tolerate the occasional missed watering, and their slow, upright growth adds a soft, natural feel to living rooms or hallways.

These three plants, along with others like pothos, philodendrons, rubber plants, and ferns, are trusted favourites for creating calm, healthy indoor environments.

Emotional Benefits of Indoor Plants

Plants also play a subtle but important role in emotional well-being. Several extensive reviews, including analyses of over 40 international studies, show that people exposed to indoor plants experience lower stress levels, better cognitive performance, and fewer sick days. Some even reported improved pain tolerance when placing their hands in cold water. And for many plant owners, the routine of watering, pruning, and simply observing growth provides a comforting sense of purpose, especially during stressful times.

Start Your Wellness Journey with Plants

Whether you choose a Snake plant for the office, a Spider plant for the kitchen, or a Kentia palm for the living room, each one adds a natural touch to your home. Plants may not cure illnesses or replace fresh air, but they can make our spaces and daily routines feel a little more balanced, especially when you learn how to care for them with guidance from the Swiss Gardening School.