Grow Herbs Indoors to Boost Your Mood While Working Remotely

Growing herbs indoors while working remotely can offer you a quick mood booster. Herbs engage our senses, mainly by smell or taste. Different herbs are used both in fragrant sachets and savory stews. Some herbs are energizing and others calming. While working remotely, having potted herbs near your work area will not only give you the benefits of greening, but also offer you a way to jump start your day or bring it to a relaxing end. What people associate with certain scents or tastes is subjective and often associated with personal memories. If a scent or taste brings back a negative memory then that is not the herb to have in your house! And remember to check with your doctor about introducing new foods into your diet, especially if you have food intolerances, allergies, or contact-based reactions. Do not eat herbs raw, as most are meant to be cooked first. The three plants below are easy to grow indoors and offer varying scents or tastes. Most take about four weeks to germinate from seed.

Thyme

There are almost 400 varieties of thyme. Most popular varieties used in cooking include English or common thyme, French thyme, and lemon thyme. There are many cultivars, with some tasting sweet, peppery, or like citrus. Thyme is a shrub-like perennial often with a woody stem, so this plant will grow for many years. A citrus-scented thyme can be a great mood lifter, simply by crushing a few leaves between your fingers.

Sage

Sage belongs to a family that has many plants which are not edible. Start with common sage (Salvia officinalis) which is the standard herb used in cooking. It has soft, velvety leaves and an earthy scent. Rubbing the soft leaves between fingers can be a welcome, calming distraction during a stressful work day. There are many cultivars on the market, so check with a local garden nursery or your supermarket for suggestions.

Mint

There are many mints, but the two most commonly used for aromatherapy include spearmint and peppermint. Studies show that peppermint boosts mood and fights off fatigue. Meanwhile, spearmint may reduce stress. Mint is better potted, as in the garden it spreads everywhere. Make sure to repot as the plant grows and use a rich, organic potting soil.

Potted herbs offer a relaxing break from the screen time of remote work. The benefits of these plants, from aromatherapy to culinary use, make the time spent maintaining them worth the effort. Be sure to find a reputable nursery that doesn’t spray its edible plants with chemicals or look to purchase organic. The same holds true for purchasing seeds: buy untreated, organic seeds. Then sit back and watch your herb garden grow.

*Please note, it is the reader’s responsibility to evaluate their own medical and physical condition and independently decide how to use the information in this blog post. Always consult your doctor before undergoing any sort of health or health-related treatment.