Working from home getting you down? Cheer up with florals

Belinda Jo has always loved flowers. While she occasionally bought herself blooms as an adult, it wasn’t until Australia was first thrust into lockdown in early 2020 that she decided to do so regularly.

The 50-something software designer from Sydney found working from home “fairly depressing”. So, in a bid to boost her mood and brighten her surrounds, she signed up for a fortnightly delivery.

Instead of opting for pre-made bunches, Belinda prefers to have the flowers and foliage delivered loose so she can arrange them herself. She finds the process, which takes up to an hour, incredibly therapeutic.

She also derives great joy in nurturing her blooms, plucking stray leaves and topping up water. But even catching a glimpse of her floral arrangements as she goes about her day puts a spring in her step.

Now that she’s back at work, Belinda relishes the feeling of being greeted by fresh flowers when she walks through the door. “It’s lovely when you come home and see and smell [them],” she says. “It lifts my mood.”

Natasha Shotton, Bloombox Co’s floral designer, isn’t surprised by Belinda’s reaction. “People smile when they see flowers,” she says. “They’re living, so they’re energising.” They also cause the release of “happy brain chemicals” such as dopamine which impacts mood.

Seeing floral arrangements can also flood us with the ‘love’ hormone oxytocin, says psychologist Sharon Draper. That’s because we’re conditioned to associate flowers with acts of caring, so when we surround ourselves with them we feel a sense of connection.

Displaying fresh bouquets in our homes can also cultivate a sense of pride, says Draper, which further boosts wellbeing. She says watching flowers bloom also “ignites a sense of growth and new beginnings” which fuels feelings of hopefulness.

Then, there’s the obvious benefit. Drinking in a visual feast of bright colours and a variety in shapes “creates feelings of joy”, Draper notes. And we’ve never been hungrier for that feeling than we are now, says Shotton: “So anything that we can surround ourselves with [that brings us joy] is definitely a positive to our wellbeing.”