The *one* thing you can buy this spring to instantly boost your mood

If there’s ever a season punctuated by flora, it’s spring. In-bloom flowers awaken in every garden and at every grocery store. TBH, just simply looking at them functions as therapy, which is something that’s not lost on sisters Christine and Caroline Strzalka, who want to make stems an everyday part of life.

This year, the duo launched their bouquet subscription service, It’s By U, which offers DIY farm-fresh flower-arranging subscription kits that are suitable for even the most amateur of floral stylists. “One of the things we’re trying to do is allow people have flowers in their lives more often,” says Christine. “They’re not just for gifting or special events—they should always be in your home or office.”

Rather than just having them dropped at your door perfectly intact, the act of arranging them yourself (yes, there’s inspo and instructions!) provides feel-good feedback. “Working with flowers causes you to take a step back, and literally get back in touch with nature,” Christine says. “Taking care of a living thing just taps into something that makes us feel good about ourselves.” 

Keep scrolling for the science-backed reasons you should buy yourself flowers.

Flowers can decrease anxiety

A study conducted by Nancy Etcoff, PhD, a Harvard psychologist found that participants felt less negative after living in a home with flowers for a few days. “We’ve had a lot of people say that working with flowers is a Zen experience in and of itself,” says Christine. “But just seeing flowers signals that you’re entering a safe and welcoming space. If you want to create a warm environment, flowers are the way.”

Flowers *actually* make you smile

Science out of Rutgers found that when people were told they’d receive a gift, flowers were the only one that gave people a “true smile,” (one that involves the mouth, cheeks, and eyes). It’s By U donates a percentage of their sales to Random Acts of Flowers, a nonprofit that upcycles flowers from events or unsold supermarket bouquets to patients in hospitals and nursing homes. “We worked with them delivering flowers for a week and it was so moving,” says Christine. “It’s just so lovely, people aren’t expecting those flowers, and it truly makes them smile.”

Flowers spark creativity

A study out of Texas A&M University found that men and women working in flower-filled environments displayed more innovative thinking. “Right now we’re just delivering to homes, but a lot of people have been asking us about office spaces.” says Christine. “Flowers for the work space is so important. It really does make people more creative.”

Flowers change perception

Flowers can leave a positive impact long after you give them, with the same Rutgers study indicating that the good-mood effect post-flower delivery can last for days. “The giver and the receiver of flowers are always viewed in a good light,” says Christine. “If you want to change someone’s perception of you, give them some flowers.”

Also: it’s important to note that you *can* turn an inexpensive grocery bouquet into a lush, expensive-looking bouquet and also you can up your arrangement with one of these ceramic vases.