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The Role of Houseplants in Cognitive Enhancement

Green companions boost brain power: Exploring how indoor foliage sharpens focus and sparks creativity.

By: THURSD | 05-09-2024 | 4 min read
Floral Education
Role of houseplants

Today, almost every apartment has indoor plants - they have become a part of not only homes, but also offices, restaurants, and government organizations. In fact, people are guided not only by the principle that it is aesthetically beautiful, but flowers and indoor plants also have a positive effect on the physical and mental health of a person.

In this article, you will learn how indoor flowers can positively affect the cognitive abilities of people who are in the same room with them. Scientists have long been trying to understand how to improve intelligence, and recently they have begun to closely study how plants affect our brain activity, and the results of these studies show that the presence of greenery in the room can significantly increase concentration, improve memory, and even contribute to an increase in intelligence.

However, one of the most intriguing findings of this topic is the relationship between the presence of Indoor plants and the scores on IQ tests. To find out your IQ level, you can take special online tests - first choose the necessary one, you can read Cerebrum IQ reviews to choose the most accurate online test, and then take the test in an empty room, and in a room with plants. The study provides evidence that people working close to plants improve their ability to do certain tasks thereby increasing their IQ level.

 

Men checking big indoor plant
Picture by @plantslover1990

 

Some experts say that plants have a way of decreasing stress, making people happier as well as helping them to focus more. Altogether these factors promote better productivity of the brain. A survey was done among one group of people who were given an IQ test in a room that was decorated with plants their IQ score was 15-20% higher compared to others given the test in a room with no plants.

It is also important because plants enhance the quality of air within the environment supporting cognitive functions thus enhancing the effect of plants.

Air Quality and Noise Impact

The first way through which houseplants contribute to enhanced cognitive ability is air quality enhancement. First, they clean the air due to the uptake of CO2 and release of oxygen, which creates a better environment for the brain. Fresh air enriches the brain with oxygen, and that improves focus in addition to overall mental performance.

Second, plants lower the level of sound in the room, and this factor matters for people who work and study at home. Less noise interferes with tasks that demand the use of the brain; this results in increased efficiency.

Plants and Stress

Plants also help in the reduction of stress and this has some influence on the cognition part of the body. Pressure in our lives and excess amounts of input that we are exposed to in our increasingly fast-paced world results in chronic stress which in turn affects cognitive ability.

 

Lady holding indoor green plant
Picture by @plantzbab

 

Greenery at home or in offices is effective in calming the environment and thus may help decrease stress which may lead to increased productivity. Having a view of plants or touching them is quite therapeutic, and it can help reduce stress and even rejuvenate one to work more effectively.

Improved Memory and Creativity

For instance, having indoor plants can enhance memory and creativity among other benefits. A study reveals that those working in offices with plants work more effectively and with higher rates of efficiency especially in offices demanding the use of creativity. It could be due to the fact that plants help to cause the feeling of relaxation and this leads to new thoughts and innovation.

Greenery can also cause associative thinking, a phenomenon where a particular visual image or smell will cause a person’s brain to produce new thoughts and connections.

 

Lady holding big leaf house plant
Picture by @peculiar_daisy

 

However, it should be noted that not all plants positively impact cognitive functions in the same way. And for some species, which contain essential oils, such as lavender or rosemary, the impact on mental activity can be very significant. Flavors extracted from these plants have been found to enhance moods, decrease anxiety, and increase the level of activity and productivity in the brain thereby boosting general performance.

There are also other types of plants that contain more oxygen in the air and this as well has a positive impact on mental processes, including aloe or sansevieria plants.

Human Benefits

Accordingly, human cognitive abilities are known to benefit from the introduction of indoor plants. Particularly, besides enhancing air quality and vibration control, they are effective in stress alleviation and memory as well as creativity enhancement. The proven significance of plants for intelligence is complemented by experimental data on IQ test outcomes.

It was found that introducing greenery into one’s life can indeed enhance cognitive function as well as the quality of life of a person.

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