Have the winter blues come to call? Take heart. Adding a bit of greenery to your surroundings just might help chase those blues away.

Each year, shorter daylight hours and colder temperatures send many of us retreating indoors. Less exposure to sunlight brings with it reduced levels of Vitamin D and a potential imbalance in our bodies of serotonin and melatonin, hormones important in controlling stress and regulating sleep.   

For millions of people, dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also popularly known as the winter blues, is no joke. It might manifest itself as a lack of energy and motivation, poor sleep quality, trouble getting out of bed in the morning, even general grumpiness. You might suffer from mental fatigue or find yourself unable to concentrate.  

According to the theory of biophilia, humans are drawn to connect with nature. Depriving ourselves of such interaction can harm our wellbeing. Adding plants to the rooms you frequent at home or work is one way to help cope with SAD—and it’s a natural choice for gardeners.  

Houseplants beautify our indoor spaces and lift our spirits year-round. During the winter months, houseplants can serve therapeutic roles as well. Just as going for a walk in the woods or tending the garden can help boost our mood, so can caring for houseplants. 

If you have an interest in a particular plant such as African violets (Saintpaulia), consider adding a pot or two near a sunny window. A larger plant such as a Meyer lemon (Citrus x limon ‘Meyer’) provides a visually pleasing focal point in a room, while caring for it becomes a relaxing routine. Potted herbs under a grow light in the kitchen are both fragrant and satisfying to use when cooking.

Check out this link: https://go.uvm.edu/wintercarehouseplant for tips on winter success with houseplants.

Caring for houseplants provides a quiet time to relax and unwind. They reconnect us to nature during months when lush, green gardens and parks are sleeping beneath a blanket of snow. The simple, mindful routine of watering houseplants, cleaning dust from their foliage, pruning, or rotating pots can help focus our thoughts and reduce stress. Sharing our space with plants provides more than a visual link with nature. Caring for them can help reduce anxiety, ease mental fatigue, and increase attention and cognitive performance. 

Even potting soil has benefits. Research has shown that Mycobacterium vaccae, a bacterium in soil, may prompt the release of serotonin in the body to reduce anxiety and stress and acts as an antidepressant.

Houseplants can help relieve stress by reducing the amount of cortisol (a stress hormone) in the body. Caring for houseplants stimulates the senses of sight, smell, touch—and taste if you’re growing edibles such as a tray of salad greens. The fragrance of flowering plants like jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum) can make a room smell like springtime.  

Large green leaves that are split like petals.
Research suggests that just taking time to view leaves on plants like this Monstera deliciosa and other natural elements can help reduce stress and stimulate curiosity. Photo by Debra Heleba. 

Including plants in your home décor may also help improve air quality. During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air. In addition, a 1989 NASA Clean Air Study suggests that some common houseplants such as the peace lily (Spathiphyllum) can help reduce the amount of contaminants in the air.  

If the winter blues have got you down, don’t grumble or threaten to hibernate until April. Bring your garden indoors to while away the winter hours. Spend some quality time tending to your houseplants, then bundle up and step outside into the sunshine. It won’t be long before spring is in the air.