Fresh Flowers Lift the Spirits

Fresh flowers in a pretty vase can go a long way to cheering us up when it’s cold and gloomy outside. Flowers will brighten up a room and make our sick friends feel better. And what hostess doesn’t beam with pleasure at the sight of a prettily wrapped bouquet.

Now a team of researchers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has found a scientific explanation for those happy flower vibes.  Over a 10-month period the scientists recorded the emotional and behavioral responses of the study’s participants to receiving flowers. Here’s what they discovered.

*  Flowers have an immediate impact on happiness. Everyone who received flowers, regardless of age, was excited to receive the flowers.

*  Flowers can have a long-term positive effect on moods. Study participants who were depressed reported feeling much less anxiety after receiving flowers.

*  Flowers led to increased contact with family and friends and helped improve intimate connections.

So don’t wait for a special occasion. Add a bunch of flowers to your cart next time you’re shopping. Tulips and daffodils are starting to appear in the supermarkets so treat your family to a breath of spring. And make sure you protect your delicate blossoms from the cold on the trip home – they like it even less than you do.

Do you buy fresh flowers in the winter? Let me know here.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.