People Who Always Kill Houseplants Also Struggle With This One Surprisingly Common Habit, According to Psychologists
Here's how to fix this overarching trait that could be tanking your productivity at home
Unless you're blessed with an especially lucky green thumb, you've probably failed a couple of houseplants in your home. Maybe you forgot to water them, or they sat in the sunlight for too long, or perhaps it was the lack of structure that did your plants a disservice.
According to psychologists, people who always kill houseplants also struggle with building routines, instead relying purely on memory to run their home. This results in wilting indoor gardens, forgotten seasonal resets, and a disorganized home overall.
So, if you can relate, here's a look at why this common habit impacts houseplant care and how to break it for a more productive home.
Relying on Memory Instead of Building Routines
Neglecting to set a proper routine can disrupt the way you run every space in your home.
"Repeatedly losing plants in your home may be indicative of a difficulty in completing smaller, repetitive tasks, where no significant consequences exist if these are delayed," says licensed psychologist Dr. Shannon Franklin.
"Since watering plants can easily be put off, since nothing alarming occurs as a result of missing one single watering session, the same type of patterns often develop regarding items such as responding to emails, cleaning up, etc."
Shannon explains that we are psychologically inclined to focus on what is urgent, rewarding, or noticeable. "The delayed response from plant care makes it easy for it to fall under the radar of awareness until the leaves start to wilt or turn brown," she adds.
"This does not suggest that someone has no accountability regarding their responsibility." It simply requires some rewiring of your routine and the way you plan your tasks at home to break the cycle.
Dr. Shannon Franklin is a black and queer-identified licensed psychologist specializing in working with the LGBTQIA+ population, gender identity/gender affirming care, multiculturalism/anti-racism, and trauma. Dr. Shannon is deeply committed to serving historically marginalized communities. She aims to work collaboratively with clients to empower them in various capacities — including individual therapy work and group therapy. She believes a person’s unique identity profoundly impacts how they interpret and experience the world.
How Can You Fix This Habit?
Taking a moment to create a plan for your home will significantly improve the way it lives.
If you identify as being more Type B, a great place to start would be to take a more active approach to caring for your houseplants. However, since this can be a distinct change for some, conducting a houseplant audit and adopting low-maintenance indoor plants is a strategic way to set yourself up for success.
Next, I find that putting your plans on paper (or even on screen) is a smart way to hold yourself accountable. This Houseplant Care Dashboard from Etsy will help you track your indoor garden's watering and feeding schedules.
And finally, lend this treatment to the rest of your to-do list, too. Start by making a plan to reset your home for autumn. You'll soon notice the advantage of building routines instead of relying purely on memory.
A digital garden planner is a clever way to keep up with caring for the varied houseplants flourishing at home.
If you've extended analogue January until the end of the year, a pretty physical planner is an equally productive choice.
Since bound planners don't work for everyone, a design-forward noticeboard is a cool way to keep on top of all your to-dos.
This link between the way you run your home and how you care for your houseplants doesn't end indoors. There are organized garden habits you should be honing, too.
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