Did you know that a Statistics Canada survey found that:
1) More than one-third of working Canadians cited too many demands or hours as the most common source of workplace stress,
2) Fifteen percent cited poor interpersonal relations,
3) 13 percent cited risk of accident and injury,
4) Depression is expected to rank second only to heart disease as the leading cause of disability worldwide by 2020,
5) Depression affects one-tenth of the population, including one-tenth of all employees,
6) Depressive disorders account for 30 to 40 percent of all medical plan dollars paid for mental illness.
Employees under stress can show a wide range of symptoms; from irritability, poor concentration and decision-making, to fatigue, heart disease, digestive problems, and high blood pressure or back pain. Stress can compromise the immune system, making a person more prone to infections and communicable illnesses, and can trigger depression. Working Canadians feel most stressed by jobs that keep them at work too long or make too many demands on their time. Sources of stress also varied between men and women, men were less likely than women to feel stress as a result of too many hours or demands.
Only 1 in every 3 people suffering from depression obtains proper treatment. For those who do, the success rate is very high, 80-90%. Many times, the onset of depression can be reduced if not eliminated by incorporating natural therapies such as flowers.
Multiple studies show that a flower-filled environments helps people relax, raises pain tolerance for people with chronic disorders, and triggers uplifting emotions like happiness. Flowers are also able to enhance good feelings such as life satisfaction and also affect how people behave in a social situation. One of these studies, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, found that regular exposure to natural environments such as gardens helps people recover from the ill effects of stress more quickly.
Research from Kansas State University’s Department of Horticulture finds that colorful flowers work more effectively than green foliage alone to reduce tension. “Flowers are symbolically and emotionally integrated with human life,” says Eunhee Kim, the research assistant professor at Kansas State who led the studies.
A natural and beneficial mood stimulator, flowers are said to:
1) Immediately alter moods to create happiness and pleasure.
2) Tingle the senses with their natural exotic fragrances
3) People who receive flowers are more likely to be less anxious, depressed and restless. They experience enjoyment and are more fulfilled with their lives than those who have not received flowers.
4) Create personal bonds with others, flowers make people feel loved and cherished, resulting in heightened sociability and happiness
5) Brighten up spaces and create a sharing ambience. People are likely to place their flowers in areas where everyone can see and enjoy them, creating a less anxious environment, adding to communication amongst co-workers, and overall happy attitudes. Even the grumpiest of persons couldn’t resist the natural beauty of flowers and their intoxicating scents.
With such a compelling argument, there’s no reason why we should let stress get the better of us. Take the time to send a loved one flowers at work, not only will it make them happy and excited, but it will make you feel good to know that you have taken 1 step in reducing the stress of a special someone by improving their mood, productivity and health, which in return will lower your stress levels resulting in that “feel good” feeling. See the difference the power of flowers can make!
By: Michelle Robitaille
