By: Shruti

If you are anything like my roommate, you love indoor plants. From orchids to succulents, these plants come in many varieties and often require very low maintenance. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing and easy to take care of, but they can have several health benefits too. These benefits include:

–Air purification: According to NASA research, plants are successful at removing low levels of pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, that can be found in the air. During the daytime, plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which humans breathe. Having a source of fresh oxygen in the room is always a plus and can improve breathing.

-Decreased risk of respiratory illnesses: Feel like you’re constantly sick? Are colds and/or a sore throat common for you? Indoor plants can help reduce the risk of respiratory illnesses. Plants release the majority of the water they take in, and they can help increase the humidity of a room and reduce the risk of respiratory illnesses. Furthermore, many studies have shown that when an illness has been contracted, having plants in the room can increase recovery rate and decrease the need for medication.

-Better mood and increased productivity: Many studies have indicated that houseplants can significantly boost mood and improve productivity and concentration. Although scientists have not figured out why exactly this is the case, it is believed that humans are hardwired to connect with nature, and therefore, they experience many positive effects when surrounded by plants.

NASA recommends having one plant per 100 square feet of floor space. The average dorm room is about 200 square feet, so this roughly correlates to having about two plants in your room! The best dorm plants in terms of ease of maintenance include aloe vera, other succulents, cacti, and snake plants. These plants are pretty small and can easily be placed on a window sill, desk, or on a shelf. Indoor plants tend to be relatively inexpensive, and since they have so many benefits, they are definitely worth purchasing!

By: Shruti

If you are anything like my roommate, you love indoor plants. From orchids to succulents, these plants come in many varieties and often require very low maintenance. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing and easy to take care of, but they can have several health benefits too. These benefits include:

Air purification: According to NASA research, plants are successful at removing low levels of pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, that can be found in the air. During the daytime, plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which humans breathe. Having a source of fresh oxygen in the room is always a plus and can improve breathing.

-Decreased risk of respiratory illnesses: Feel like you’re constantly sick? Are colds and/or a sore throat common for you? Indoor plants can help reduce the risk of respiratory illnesses. Plants release the majority of the water they take in, and they can help increase the humidity of a room and reduce the risk of respiratory illnesses. Furthermore, many studies have shown that when an illness has been contracted, having plants in the room can increase recovery rate and decrease the need for medication.

-Better mood and increased productivity: Many studies have indicated that houseplants can significantly boost mood and improve productivity and concentration. Although scientists have not figured out why exactly this is the case, it is believed that humans are hardwired to connect with nature, and therefore, they experience many positive effects when surrounded by plants.

NASA recommends having one plant per 100 square feet of floor space. The average dorm room is about 200 square feet, so this roughly correlates to having about two plants in your room! The best dorm plants in terms of ease of maintenance include aloe vera, other succulents, cacti, and snake plants. These plants are pretty small and can easily be placed on a window sill, desk, or on a shelf. Indoor plants tend to be relatively inexpensive, and since they have so many benefits, they are definitely worth purchasing!

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.