With people’s desire for tranquility and stress relief stronger than ever, fresh research takes an insightful look at flowers and the important role they may play in our daily lives. A behavioral research study conducted by Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School reveals that people feel more compassionate toward others, have less worry and anxiety, and feel less depressed when flowers are present in the home.

“As a psychologist, I’m particularly intrigued to find that people who live with flowers report fewer episodes of anxiety and depressed feelings. Our results suggest that flowers have a positive impact on our well being.”

- Dr. Nancy Etcoff, PhD. Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Flowers

We know they’re beautiful and, for many, we can’t figure out why we like them so much.

Here’s why:
Flowers make us happy.

The Proof is in the Petals:
A behavioral study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed that study participants felt least positive in the early hours, but reported being happier and more energetic after looking at flowers first thing in the morning.

“The morning blahs, it turns out, is a real phenomenon, with positive moods – happiness, friendliness and warmth, for example – manifesting much later in the day,” says lead researcher Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. “Interestingly, when we placed a small bouquet of flowers into their morning routines, people perked up.”