{"id":275,"date":"2022-04-11T12:04:40","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T12:04:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/balanceandblooms.com\/?p=275"},"modified":"2019-10-03T13:54:30","modified_gmt":"2019-10-03T13:54:30","slug":"harvard-research-flowers-are-the-perfect-pick-me-up-to-boost-morning-moods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/balanceandblooms.com\/harvard-research-flowers-are-the-perfect-pick-me-up-to-boost-morning-moods\/","title":{"rendered":"Harvard Research: Flowers are the Perfect Pick-Me-Up to Boost Morning Moods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Research confirms that flowers might be the perfect pick-me-up for millions of Americans who do not consider themselves \u201cmorning people.\u201d Participants of a behavioral study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed that they feel least positive in the early hours but reported being happier and more energetic after looking at flowers first thing in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe morning blahs, it turns out, is a real phenomenon, with positive moods \u2013 happiness, friendliness and warmth, for example \u2013 manifesting much later in the day,\u201d says lead researcher Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. \u201cInterestingly, when we placed a small bouquet of flowers into their morning routines, people perked up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Etcoff is referencing the fact that participants in the study responded to the flowers, which had been placed in rooms they frequented in the morning. Overall, the participants reported they liked to look at the blooms first thing in the morning, particularly in the kitchen. The final study results demonstrate that flowers impact people emotionally at home, causing them to feel less anxious and more compassionate. They even reported a boost of energy that lasted through their day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I find interesting is that by starting the day in a more positive mood, you are likely to transfer those happier feelings to others \u2013 it\u2019s what is called mood contagion,\u201d says Etcoff. \u201cAnd, the kitchen is the place where families tend to gather in the morning \u2013 imagine how big a difference a better morning mood can make.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top Floral Designer Offers Quick, Simple \u201cHow-To\u2019s\u201d on Fashioning Flowers for Positive Moods in the Morning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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New York City floral and garden designer Rebecca Cole, host of Discovery Channel\u2019s Surprise by Design, is not surprised by these findings. \u201cI grew up with a kitchen often decorated with flowers,\u201d says Cole. \u201cMy family knew instinctively that flowers brought joy to the people who came in contact with them \u2013 and now there is scientific proof.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cole shares her floral design experience with others, showing them how to use flowers to capture emotion and encourage community in their kitchens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are so many places for flowers in the kitchen \u2013 the room where we spend most of our waking time,\u201d says Cole. \u201cFrom the breakfast nook to the table to the countertop, flowers just belong. It\u2019s even the most convenient room to change the water!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cole suggests the following tips for experimenting with color to trying new, dramatic styles to the creative use of containers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n