జర్నల్ ఆఫ్ ప్లాంట్ జెనెటిక్స్ అండ్ బ్రీడింగ్

నైరూప్య

Flowers soothe mental health under pandemic crisis

Moumita Malakar

COVID-19 has created a state of crisis. Mankind was not organized to combat the pandemic generates a threat to our survival. Sudden lockdown and subsequent confinement plunged us into mental ‘Stress’ nothing but the mental, physical, emotional, and behavioral reaction to any perceived demands or threats. So now the question is how does nature help us to manage stress and anxiety? Flowers are an integral part of nature; without them, nature alias plants will be merely green. Environmental Psychology has gone a long way to evince the positive impact and healing potential of nature. Flowers give older people a better quality of life. They make happy the giver and receiver duo by exchanging positive emotions (smile). Blooms evidently accelerate healing. More elaborately, visible greenery reduces stress, stimulates the mind, and moves the focus away from pain and discomfort. Cuddles with plants make people able to tolerate more pain and can reduce dependence on painkillers. Exposure to nature could also aid to eradicate poor eyesight allied problems viz. myopia, dry eyes, etc. Collaterally, essential oils also could enact a vital role to lessen human anxiety by a holistic healing treatment namely ‘Aromatherapy’. It is based on the usage of aromatic materials, including essential oils (eg. Rose, Lavender, Roman Chamomile, etc.), and other aroma compounds, with claims for improving psychological or physical well-being by interacting with the limbic system (emotional brain). Our affinity toward nature is genetic and deep-rooted in evolution. Based on the ‘Psycho Evolutionary Theory’ (PET) of Roger Ulrich (1983) nature has an in-built restoration component that helps in stress reduction and emotional regulation. Hence, conclusively flowers promote happiness, health, and recovery.