
As I unpacked my Valentine’s Day flower delivery this week I thought, why do these make me so happy? Why do I feel better with a house full of flowers? Has anyone ever studied this? My curious mind had to know!
To my surprise there have been studies done on the effects of flowers on the human mind and emotion!! I have included two studies that I found interesting.

In 2006 a behavioral research study was conducted by Dr. Nancy Etcoff, PhD of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medicine School called the Home Ecology of Flowers Study.
In this study, fifty-four people, ages 25-60, were studied. Half of the participants received a “control” décor item for their home other than flowers. The other half were given flowers. After one week, participants rated their feelings and emotions during specific periods of the day,
This study established 3 main findings:
1. Flowers feed compassion.
2. Flowers chase away anxieties, worries and the blues at home.
3. Living with flowers can provide a boost of energy, happiness and enthusiasm at work.

A second study was, The Flowers Improve Emotional Health study. This study was conducted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, led by Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Rutgers. This study was conducted over a 10 month and observed participants’ behavioral and emotional responses to receiving flowers.
This study found that:
1. Flowers have an immediate impact on happiness.
2. Flowers have a long-term positive effect on moods. Specifically, study participants reported feeling less depressed, anxious and agitated after receiving flowers, and demonstrated a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction.
3. Flowers make intimate connections.

So treat your self to that bouquet and boost your mood!
References:
https://www.randomactsofflowers.org/images/documents/RAFNational-Study-HomeEcologyofFlowersStudy.pdf
https://safnow.org/aboutflowers/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2016/10/ep03104132.pdf