Looking at flowers reduces stress and boosts your mood

Spring is here, and with it, beautiful flowers, including eye-catching cherry blossoms, are sprouting all around us. Cities and towns are once again transformed by the colors and scents of the season, luring people to come out of their winter hibernation.

But flowers aren’t just pleasant to look at — they also have health benefits. For starters, enjoying flowers can help relax us. One 2020 study found that even just looking at an image of a typical flower when stressed reduces negative emotions, lowers elevated blood pressure and decreases cortisol levels. Simple interactions with flowers — whether tending a garden or arranging a bouquet in your home — can provide an opportunity to engage in mindful practices that enhance mental clarity and emotional resilience.

Dr. Anjan Chatterjee, a professor of neurology and director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics at the University of Pennsylvania, tells Yahoo Life: ”Flowers offer us moments of pleasure and invite us to pause, savor and reflect. Visually, they can be arresting.”

Chatterjee points out that the number of leaves and petals of many flowers fall into particular mathematical patterns called the Fibonacci sequence. “Realizing such patterns are expressed in nature can be a source of wonder,” he says. Those feelings of awe are good for mental health, promoting feel-good chemicals like oxytocin, calming the nervous system and slowing your heart rate.

Natural floral scents have an impact too. “The smell of flowers, beyond being pleasurable, can evoke personal associations,” he says. “Smell taps into memory and nostalgia more directly than other sensations.”

Receiving flowers is also a powerful mood booster, according to an older body of research from Rutgers University. In one of the studies, women who were given flowers still reported more positive moods three days later. Another study found that people 55 and older presented with flowers reported better mood and improved memory.

Take walks of wonder

Seeking beauty and finding moments of awe in our daily lives by paying attention to the flowers and plants blooming all around can benefit our well-being. So think of a daily spring stroll as your walk of wonder. As you pass through urban parks and public gardens, allow yourself time to notice the wildflowers that sprout in the unlikeliest of places, such as between the cracks in the sidewalk. These small bursts of color, often overlooked in our rush to reach our destination, carry a profound message of resilience. Cultivating mindful observation transforms an ordinary walk into a meditative journey, a practice that invigorates the body and soothes the mind.

Kelly Anne Parker, founder of Send Ribbon (acquired by Urban Stems), tells Yahoo Life that flowers can also serve as inspiration when life gets tough. “I always say ‘no rain, no flowers’ because difficult times and challenges are necessary for growth, beauty and positive outcomes. Flowers bring smiles, love, compassion and hope.”

Have flowers at home

You don’t need to leave the house to enjoy the benefits of blossoming flowers. Along with gardening, home floral arrangements can create moments of joy as well (here’s how to do a flawless arrangement). Tending to the growth and watching the flowers bloom can provide simple moments of joy within our own four walls. This is one way to bring nature indoors, also known as biophilic design. It creates a sanctuary of calm amid the pressures of modern life. This practice of integrating nature into our living space is more than mere decoration; it is a conscious choice to invite beauty and tranquility into the heart of our daily routines.

Whether through a quiet walk in a neighborhood park, an immersive visit to a sprawling botanical garden (you can find the top ones in the U.S. here) or the simple act of arranging a bouquet at home, flowers help us feel better and connect more deeply with the world around us. Spring is often thought of as a time for rebirth. By slowing down and paying attention to nature, we get to witness a new season of life.

Jennifer Walsh is a writer, founder of Wellness Walks With Walsh and co-author of Walk Your Way Calm.