Can going green help your mental health?

Mental health awareness is a societal movement that has been picking up steam for the past few years, and it’s easy to see why. Going from two years of limited interpersonal contact and mass layoffs due to the pandemic, to the current state of inflation and general societal unrest, it has been a tough few years for a large majority of the population.

While it is important to prioritize mental health with a proper diet, exercise and trips to the therapist when needed, changing your environment can also be a big help. Going green in your daily life and in your home is an often overlooked aspect that can do wonders for your mental state.

Below, we have highlighted a few examples of how going green can help your mental health, and how best to implement these ideas.

Going green can reduce negative health effects

As we wrote in a previous article, Surprising Benefits Of Using Natural Cleaners In Your Home, switching from traditional “heavy duty” cleaners to green and other eco-friendly options can improve the physical health of those in your household.

Traditional cleaning products such as Clorox and Lysol will get the cleaning job done, but at what cost? They can cause a host of negative health effects. Frequent use of these products exposes those in the household to harsh fumes that can cause allergic reactions, headaches and respiratory problems, among other health issues. Instead, switching to green cleaning products like those we offer at Nature Lake can do wonders for the health of those in your home while keeping your space as clean as the other “heavy duty” options.

Frequent health issues can also deteriorate your mental state, so switching to green cleaning options in your home can effectively help the mental health of those in the household.

Going green can help you feel accomplished

Climate change is becoming the crisis of our time, and it’s hard to avoid the constant pessimism regarding the state of our planet. Pollution is seemingly on a never-ending climb, ice caps are melting at an alarming rate, and the earth is slowly getting warmer to the point of being nearly unbearable. Without proper intervention, large portions of the world could easily become uninhabitable within the next century.

Seeing all of this doom-and-gloom can make you feel helpless. What can one person do to help? Going green can help you feel like you are making a difference. Because you are. Using natural cleaners, adhering to a proper recycling system, and reducing your carbon footprint can all do wonders for your mental health because these steps give you a sense of purpose and the peace of mind of knowing you’re doing your part.

Going green (actual green!) can reduce stress

Tending to plants around the home or starting a small garden is a popular hobby. While it may not be as strenuous as caring for a pet or certainly a child, taking care of plants is a responsibility that can lead to a sense of accomplishment and pride. While this hobby is challenging and fun, there are also a surprising number of health benefits that can improve your mental state.

According to an article from Parenting Science, being around nature and other green spaces can have incredible benefits for both adults and children. The article states that those with access to these spaces are “quicker to recover from stress, and less likely to experience depression. Kids grow up with fewer psychiatric problems, and adults are less likely to commit suicide.” While the more nature the better, these mental health benefits can be gained from simply looking out the window at plants or trees.

Therefore, keeping plants around the home or starting a small garden can easily meet the qualifications of being around a green space, and doing so can greatly improve a person’s mental health.

Final word

Whether it be climate change, the volatile state of the economy or general stressors in everyday life, many people can find themselves in an unhealthy mental state. There are a number of methods you can try to boost your mental health, and going green in the home is a great place to start.