Calling all dedicated, multitasking plant parents! Ever wonder how to incorporate your own self care into your routine for caring for your blooms? (Because anyone with a fauna family to call their own knows it can be a time-consuming effort.) It’s certainly possible, and the latest recent episode of Well+Good’s Self-Care Nation, with plant-lady wellness coach Brittany Gowan of Pause with Plants, outlines a few tips using the benefits of plants that’ll lead both you and your potted pals to really blossom.
Even if you’re cursed with a perpetual inability to foster a plant successfully (I, for one, once killed a succulent), there’s one self-care tip that even a casual nature lover can incorporate into their wellness routine: Just get out there into nature, people. Check out more hints from Gowan about how you and your plants can help each other grow.
1. Water your plant babies, then water yourself
Gowan says making sure her plants never want for nutrients provides her with a hearty dose of relaxation and joy. She loves seeing her greenery flourish, and to even further optimize this bonding experience, she even joins them for a drink.
“I enjoy watching the water soak into the soil, and it makes me feel good to be helpful in assisting my plants to grow well and thrive,” Gowan says. “After I water my plants and before eating breakfast, I look to jump-start myself with a glass of water or two.”
So stay hydrated, friends; whether you’re human or fern, it’s the cornerstone of any self-care practice.
2. Meditate with your plants
No need to sit cross-legged in a greenhouse with your mind completely blank (although, I suppose that could work, too); however, Gowan does focus on regulating her breathing while checking in to see how her plants are sprouting up. It’s a meditative, calming practice that allows her to focus on the individual beauty of each leaf. And since a lot of plants help purify the air, she’s definitely inhaling some really top-shelf air.
3. Humidify your face, your space, and your saplings
I go from one to Monica Geller in humid weather, but if you have dry AF skin, there’s nothing better than dialing up the humidifier—and your plants will definitely second that choice. Gowan loves making sure her foliage fam is in an optimum, humidified environment. The idea of a sauna sesh with your plants doesn’t soak with you? Give it a second thought; Gowan is soothed by watching the mist flow to help her plants live their best lives.
4. Stop and smell the roses…like, literally
Good news for those in the less-is-more camp: You can get a wellness boost simply by being present with the plants that exist outside your life and care.
“In the rush of city life, I value the role that plants and nature play in keeping us connected to the natural world,” Gowan says. It’s a worthwhile venture, because when you inhabit a concrete jungle, your psychological well being is exponentially boosted by a touch of greenery. In fact, research shows that if you live in an urban area, living in close proximity to a park is a blessing for your mental health. So whether you identify as a plant mom or simply as plant-curious, we can all take this tip to heart.
To catch up on Self-Care Nation, watch how a sex and wellness writer sages her way to good energy. And one make-up artist centers herself with a 17-step morning routine.
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