Mood ImproverLately, the water cooler topic has shifted from the amount of snow in our driveways to the kinds of flowers in our gardens. It is a much more pleasant subject, and it reminded me of this article I read last month.

If you're the kind of person who doesn't believe something until there is a "scientific study" to back it up, this one is for you. Based on behavioral research conducted at Rutgers University, a team led by Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of the Human Emotions Lab, was able to conclude that giving someone flowers improves their mood. Well duh, right? And it turns out the study was sponsored by the floral industry. However, the results seem right on par with what I've always known. Some of the interesting findings:
Carnation Elation

• Just seeing flowers didn't necessarily improve someone's mood, proving that the act of receiving flowers was an important factor
• Those who unexpectedly received flowers displayed instant happiness, and were still in good moods up to 3 days later
• People who kept fresh flowers around the house experienced less anxiety (Harvard Medical School Study)
• Women in the workplace developed more innovative ideas and solutions to problems when flowers were nearby (Texas A&M University Study)

And, though there isn't any scientific study to back this up, I also have reason to believe that the flower-giver experiences some sort of instant improvement in mood (hint, hint).