Have you ever found yourself smiling while looking at some flowers? Whether it’s a wildflower meadow, your own garden borders, or a beautiful handtied bouquet. There’s just something about flowers that seems to make us happy. Of course, it easier to understand when you’ve received flowers as a gift – pleasure and gratitude are all part of the experience. But why do other flowers make us smile? It’s tempting to think that it’s a natural response to seeing something pretty. But, according to psychologists, it’s all down to evolution.
Why Do Flowers Make Us Happy?
We often forget it, but humans are just like any other animal. Our emotions just tend to be a little bit more complicated (as far as we know!). As we’ve evolved, and developed what we view as life-enhancing technologies, we’ve moved further and further away from the natural cues that historically guided us. As hunter-gatherers, we rejoiced at the flowers that signalled the coming of spring because they meant the coming of abundance. This, along with a few other factors, triggers our cheerful brain chemicals.
Dopamine
Dopamine is known as the feel-good neurotransmitter. It’s a chemical released in our brain when we expect something positive. Flowers, and bright colours in general, activate that sense of expectation because that’s what our ancestors learned to associate with the reward of food. It’s not the most romantic association in the world, but food certainly makes us happy, so we can see why it would have made a lasting impression in our evolving minds.
Serotonin
Serotonin is considered a natural mood stabiliser. And most of us think of it in relation to depression – if we think of it at all. But serotonin also is associated with pride. And strangely enough, our brain associates pride with flowers. Receiving a bouquet of flowers makes us proud of the fact that someone has wanted to give them to us. And as any gardener will know, growing our own flowers gives an enormous sense of satisfaction. So, when pride meets reward, happiness results. But there’s still one more brain chemical to add to happy-making cocktail.
Oxytocin
Oxytocin is known as the "cuddle hormone," because it’s released when we’re happily hugging someone, or otherwise bonding. So, why do we produce it when we see flowers? Because when someone gives you flowers, it’s often akin to strengthening a social bond. You rarely give flowers to someone you don’t like (unless you happen to live in Victorian England!). So, in our minds, we connect flowers to those special feelings of closeness, friendship and romance.
Add in the influence of nature
Of course, flowers have one further trick up their sepals. They make us happy because they take us closer to nature. And it’s been clinically proven that being among nature can relieve stress, alleviate depression and anxiety, calm us and cheer us. Hospital patients have even been shown to recover more quickly when they have a bed with a view of a garden.
So, there you have it. Flowers make us happy because our brain does things that most of aren’t even aware of… But then again, it might just be because they’re pretty! Whatever the reason, why not make the day of someone you love with a beautifully arranged bouquet of summer flowers?