Plants have always been among the most popular pieces of decor for a living space. They are proven to create a more comfortable and home-like atmosphere wherever you are. And this is the main reason why students often choose to decorate their dorms and homes with such elements when they leave for college.
However, when shopping for plants, students always face the dilemma of whether to buy real or fake ones. Although fake vegetation doesn’t require any effort to maintain, it’s much better to choose real plants instead, and here is why.
1. Reduced Stress and Anxiety
As reported by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, as many as 80% of students in the US experience high levels of stress sometimes or often, whereas, for 34% of them, constant stress leads to depression. There are many ways to combat stress in college. Namely, since schoolwork is a primary source of stress for over 55% of students, an obvious way to reduce it is to get help. You can get professional paper writing help by WritePaper to keep your grades high and get rid of stress. And if you want to reduce stress more, you can fill your home with real plants.
According to numerous studies, when people are in a room with at least a few indoor plants, their stress and anxiety levels go down. Such soothing and stress-relieving properties can be incredibly important to young people.
2. Better Concentration
Apart from stress, many young people are struggling with a lack of concentration and attention. This issue gets somewhat smoothed out when they are in the class because the atmosphere there is unconsciously associated with studying. However, when they get back to the dorm room or home, their concentration can go down again. Of course, this can harm their ability to learn.
This brings us to another impressive benefit of green surroundings. Though not many know this, they have a powerful effect on one’s concentration. Different studies revealed that students who are surrounded by vegetation experience a 70% rise in their attention and focus. So, if you want to stay focused not only during your classes but at home too, this is one more reason to invest in real plants rather than fake ones.
3. Enhanced Productivity
According to the National Education Association, in 2022, students will spend three times more time on homework than is considered average. This fact clearly reveals the growing issue of low productivity at home. But while this might not be so big for high-schoolers who can handle their homework in school, the problem gets real for college students who have to do lots of work during their at-home study sessions.
Earlier, we told you about the increase in productivity caused by indoor vegetation. Now, another study revealed that one’s productivity also goes up when a person is surrounded by greens. A computer task experiment studied how quickly participants respond to different tasks that require cognitive thinking, physical skill, and visual focus. It turned out that participants had significantly lower response times when they were in a room full of vegetation. The results revealed 12% better performance. Based on this experiment, scientists revealed the positive effect of plants on one’s productivity.
4. Lower Mental Tiredness
While in college, young people often experience ongoing mental tiredness. The reasons for this are many. Learners are facing a hefty academic load and often suffer from a lack of rest and free time. Having 100% of their energy focused on education, young people often end up having a burnout. And this is one more thing with which you can deal thanks to plants.
According to experts, indoor vegetation has many significant effects on one’s mental health. Namely, it’s proven to alleviate mental tiredness. Being surrounded by plants can make you less psychologically exhausted and, thus, less prone to burnout.
5. Better Overall Well-Being
Apart from reducing mental tiredness, plants can also have other positive effects on your overall well-being. For example, the color and freshness they bring to the room are proven to make you more comfortable and relaxed. Also, they can lower absenteeism, illness, and student distress.
So, if you are still thinking about whether you should decorate your dorm or rented apartment with real or fake plants, the answer should be obvious.
6. Improved Mood
We could mention this point along with overall well-being. But it definitely deserves a separate mention. We all have ups and downs. It’s natural to feel sad or overwhelmed, especially when you are a young adult in college. But there is an easy way to keep your mood more lifted most of the time.
According to studies, green surroundings have a direct effect on one’s mood. Indoor plants can bring you a sense of self-satisfaction, diminish anger, and bring peace of mind. All in all, they can promote a deeper feeling of happiness and help you stay in a good mood every day.
7. Environmental Consciousness
Speaking about the reasons to buy real plants instead of fake ones, we can’t avoid mentioning the growing trend towards environmental consciousness. Due to the risks associated with global warming and other environmental issues, people these days are striving to be “greener” in their everyday lives.
Becoming more conscious about the environment often involves changing your values and daily habits, using renewable resources, etc. By doing this, people make a positive change. And having real vegetation at home is just another way to go greener as a student. Fake plants aren’t eco-friendly at all. Most of the manufacturers use synthetic materials that can’t be recycled easily and harmful dyes to create their products. Besides, such decor elements tend to fade or damage too soon and get thrown away in a trash dump because they can’t be recycled. Needless to say, it takes many years for such items to deteriorate. So, if you want to be eco-friendly and environmentally conscious, you’d better opt for live plants. After all, when they die, and you throw them away, they will biodegrade and do something good for our environment.
8. Cleaner Air
Finally, there is the most obvious yet underappreciated benefit of real indoor vegetation. Unlike fake plants, live ones will give you much cleaner air in your dorm or apartment. Live plants absorb light energy and carbon dioxide from the air and emit oxygen.
As a result, having cleaner air in your living space will also give you plenty of health benefits. Namely, cleaner air will boost your brain performance. Also, when located near the sleeping area, plants can also improve the quality of sleep. Finally, inhaling cleaner air will help your lungs perform better with less stress. So the benefits are real.
The Bottom Line
Decorating your dorm room or rented apartment with something green is a great way to improve the looks of your space and make it feel more home-like. However, when choosing between real and fake plants, students should always pick the first one, even though it requires more time and effort to maintain.
After reading this article, you will know about some of the biggest benefits of natural indoor vegetation. Now, you should no longer have any doubts. If you want to get all these health and other benefits, be sure to opt for live plants!