Feeling down? Researcher Julie H. Campbell, Ph.D. provides an easy way to boost your mood

The covid-19 pandemic could’ve been the end for many flower producers as weddings and funeral ceremonies came to a grinding halt. However, a shift occurred in the market for fresh cut flowers, people started buying them to simply brighten the spaces they were locked up in.

“It became almost like therapy,” says Julie Campbell, an assistant professor at the University of University of Georgia. “The habit stuck around.”

She, along with a team of researchers from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the institution, conducted a national study to get to the bottom of what is behind people’s flower buying habits.

Need to boost your mood? Use some flower power

The survey asked over 8,500 people what kinds of flowers they bought and why they bought them. One of the clear findings from the study was that people who had purchased flowers in the past year reported feeling better. Even more so among those who had recently bought flowers.

“There’s a perceived benefit — whether it’s real or not. People feel they’re getting something valuable from the experience,” said Ben Campbell, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at CAES and co-author of the study.

“People overwhelmingly said that cut flowers make them feel better, both for at home or at work,” Campbell told Good Housekeeping.

She explained that in homes, “it’s about creating a peaceful, beautiful space that lifts your spirits.” Whereas flowers at work “were seen as a mood booster, helping reduce stress, brighten the atmosphere, and make people feel more energized.”

“Flowers do more than just sit there and look pretty. They actually help people feel happier and calmer,” she reflected.

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