Health by Design: New University Research Reveals Surprising Solution for Relieving Stress

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent survey conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of the Society of American Florists, 68 percent of people feel stress on a weekly basis, and 32 percent are stressed every day. Women, in particular, are affected, as 1 in 4 report experiencing stress multiple times a day. From finances and health concerns, to lengthy to-do lists, there are numerous sources of strain in our lives, and today there is a surprisingly simple way to relieve it – flowers.

A new study from the University of North Florida shows that living with flowers significantly alleviates daily stress. These new findings follow decades of behavioral research studies conducted by researchers at universities including Harvard, Rutgers and Texas A&M that demonstrate flowers' ability to make people happy, strengthen feelings of compassion, foster creativity and even provide a boost of energy.

The 2018 study, entitled, The Impact of Flowers on Perceived Stress Among Women, concludes that adding flowers to indoor environments results in a statistically significant and meaningful reduction in stress.

"There is a growing body of research that illustrates how environmental design positively impacts health. Now it is both intuitive and scientifically known that adding elements of nature, like flowers, to interiors promotes well-being," said lead researcher Erin Largo-Wight, Ph.D., Associate Professor of University of North Florida's Department of Public Health.

The specific results include:

• The average reduction in stress among the women who received and lived with flowers was -5.5 points on the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, a strong statistical significance in a decrease in stress.
• Flowers are a unique gift with the proven potential to reduce stress among women -- likely because flowers provide the opportunity for nature contact, an established health-promoting environmental exposure.
• Participants who received flowers overwhelmingly reported that flowers improved their mood.

"Our findings are important from a public health perspective because adding flowers to reduce stress does not require tremendous effort to generate a meaningful effect," said Largo-Wight. "When life seems to be in a constant state of frenzy, flowers can provide us with a much-needed moment of calm."

For more information on the research and tips on reducing stress, visit aboutflowers.com/stressless.

For more information or to request an interview with Dr. Largo-Wight, please contact Dani Mackey at [email protected] or (703) 283-9698.                                                            

Opening statistics on stress are from a survey of 1,004 nationally representative U.S. adults, ages 18+, by Wakefield Research in July 2018.

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New research from @UofNorthFlorida shows that living with flowers significantly reduces daily stress. Learn more and #stressless www.aboutflowers.com/stressless #flowerpower

SOURCE Society of American Florists