Want to improve your mood? Did you know that plants just might be the answer? Multiple studies have proven that plants keep you happier and healthier by offering both psychological and physical health benefits. Some of these include reduced fatigue, lowered stress and anxiety, boosted healing and pain tolerance, improved air quality, and dry skin and respiratory ailments relief. The best part is it is all for free with no exercise required.

So what’s the catch? There is no catch. It’s as simple as visiting a nice garden, taking a stroll through a park, sitting outside to enjoy nature, gardening, or just chilling with your houseplants.

According to a 16-year study of 2,800 older people in Australia, it discovered that spending time daily with plants can reduce the likelihood of dementia by up to 36%. This surprising figure is comparable to the benefits of physical activity in reducing the risk of cognitive decline. What a great excuse to occasionally bypass the gym for that walk through the garden.

Spending time with plants and gardening also offers great opportunities to make new friends. It is all about sharing experiences and finding common interests, no matter your age. Visiting community gardens or participating in one means you’re likely to bump into other gardeners, and it will be easy to strike up conversations as you work together, share tools, and admire each other’s progress and produce. You can also learn a lot from other gardeners, which can be helpful for branching out and trying to grow new things and finding different gardens or greenhouses to visit.

It truly is amazing that plants are able to do such great thing like alleviate and reduce the risk of depression, prevent boredom, and encourage continued learning about them. So go out there and enjoy all the wonderful plants or stop by your local greenhouse and pick up your new best friend. Have fun and enjoy!