From an office full of plants to 122°F Arizona heat, I was reminded that some of the best wellness tools have been growing around us all along.

There are two kinds of people in an office: the people who walk past the plants, and the people who stop to check whether they need water. Apparently, I am the second kind.

Our facilities team has done something I wish more workplaces would do. They have placed dozens of living plants throughout the building, in hallways, conference rooms, shared workspaces, and quiet corners. They even planted a vegetable garden in the corner of the parking lot. It is a small patch of green surrounded by cars, pavement, and office buildings, and it makes me smile every time I pass it.

The facilities team sits in another building, so they cannot always keep an eye on the plants here. Somewhere along the way, they realized that I was usually the person noticing when a pot felt dry, a leaf needed trimming, or a plant needed to be turned toward the light. They asked me to help take care of them because, frankly, nobody else really does.

I was happy to accept. Some people take coffee breaks. I apparently take plant breaks. 🌿

One of those plants is mint. It is not the largest or most dramatic plant in the building, but every time I brush a hand across its leaves, that clean, unmistakable scent makes me pause and breathe a little deeper.

When 122°F Changes Your Perspective ☀️

I did not fully appreciate that little mint plant until I returned from Scottsdale, Arizona, where the temperature reached 122°F. Not the “feels like” temperature. The actual temperature.

I grew up in South Florida, live in the humid DC area where I garden on a 16th-floor balcony, and generally tolerate heat well. Scottsdale was different. Walking across a parking lot felt like opening an oven door and stepping inside.

What fascinated me was how differently businesses handled the heat. Patios with shade and professional misting systems were remarkably comfortable. Walk a short distance away, and the desert heat became almost overwhelming again. I explored the science of evaporative cooling in my earlier post, I Survived 122°F in Arizona. Here’s What I Learned. The short explanation is that water evaporating from the skin carries away heat. That is why mist, damp cloths, cool showers, shade, and true environmental cooling matter during hot weather.

When I returned to the office, the mint plant suddenly looked more interesting. Water creates genuine evaporative cooling. Menthol, the best-known cooling compound in peppermint, creates the sensation of coolness by activating cold-sensitive TRPM8 receptors. Those are two different mechanisms, and together they explain why a cold, damp mint towel can feel so refreshing.

Why Mint Feels Cool, Even When the Air Is Still Hot ❄️

Menthol does not function like an air conditioner. It does not automatically lower core body temperature. Instead, it stimulates sensory receptors that normally respond to cold, so the brain interprets a cooling signal. This is the same reason peppermint gum, toothpaste, or a mentholated topical product can feel cold even when its actual temperature has barely changed.

That distinction matters. Mint can improve comfort, but it is not a substitute for real heat safety. During extreme heat, the priority is still to move into a cooler environment, rest, drink appropriate fluids, use cool water on the skin, and recognize the symptoms of heat illness. The CDC warns that headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, heavy sweating, thirst, and reduced urination can signal heat exhaustion. Confusion, fainting, or severe worsening can indicate an emergency.

In other words, use mint as a thoughtful supporting tool, not as permission to stay in unsafe heat.

Try This: A Simple Mint Cooling Towel 💚

The article that inspired this post described soaking cotton towels in ice water, adding fresh mint and peppermint oil, then storing the rolled towels in the freezer. I prefer a gentler version centered on fresh leaves, especially for people with sensitive skin.

• One clean 100% cotton towel
• A handful of fresh mint sprigs
• A bowl of cold, filtered water
• A few ice cubes

Soak the towel until it is fully wet. Gently bruise the mint leaves between your fingers to release their aroma, lay them inside the towel, and roll it up. Refrigerate it or place it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Then drape it across the back of your neck or shoulders after gardening, walking, or spending time outside.

The cold water provides the meaningful physical cooling. The mint adds fragrance and the sensation of freshness. If you use peppermint essential oil, remember that it is concentrated and can irritate skin. It should never be treated as though it were interchangeable with fresh mint, and it should not be applied undiluted.

One Plant Changes the Way You Think About Food

That little office mint plant represents something larger. Growing even one edible plant changes your relationship with food.

A tomato from the grocery store is an object. A tomato you have grown has a history. You watched the flower appear. You celebrated the first tiny fruit. You noticed the days it drooped, the rain it received, and the moment it finally ripened. You eat it differently because you understand what it took to produce it.

The same is true of herbs. Once you have pinched fresh mint for tea, chopped basil from your own pot, or harvested rosemary that you kept alive through winter, food becomes less abstract. You become less willing to waste it. You become more curious about flavor, soil, seasons, and nutrition.

You do not need a farm to begin. A balcony, a windowsill, or a corner of a parking lot can be enough. Mint is especially forgiving, although it spreads aggressively and is usually best kept in its own container. For help starting small, read Give Your Garden a Head Start With Seeds.

Plants Also Change the Way You Think About Water 💧

When you care for plants, water stops being an invisible utility that simply comes out of the tap. You start noticing quality, timing, quantity, drainage, and balance. Too little water and the plant wilts. Too much and the roots struggle. The goal is not always more. The goal is the right water, used appropriately.

The same principle applies to us, although human hydration is more complex. During heat, drinking regularly matters, and people sweating for hours may also need electrolytes. But a wellness conversation that ends with “drink more water” is incomplete. Taste, contaminants, mineral balance, diet, medical conditions, activity, climate, and the fluids lost through sweat all affect the picture.

At ImmerHealth, I look at water as a foundation rather than a miracle. I use a high-quality Multipure filter because I want cleaner water for drinking, cooking, washing produce, and making herbal preparations. I also use a Kangen K8 water ionizer because it provides different water settings for different household purposes. These systems are tools. They do not replace sleep, nourishment, movement, or common sense, but good tools can make good habits easier to practice consistently.

You can explore the current ImmerHealth Water Treatment Systems and compare filtration and ionization options.

Hydration Is Internal and External

Heat reminds us that hydration is not only something we drink. Our skin is constantly interacting with sun, wind, dry air, sweat, indoor air conditioning, cleansers, and the water used to wash it.

Healthy skin has a mildly acidic surface often called the acid mantle. Harsh soaps, aggressive scrubbing, and poorly matched products can disrupt that barrier. I use the Beauty Water setting from my Kangen system as part of my own routine because it produces mildly acidic water intended for external use. That is a personal care preference, not a medical treatment, but it fits my larger philosophy: use the right tool for the right purpose and work with the body’s natural design rather than constantly fighting it.

For the record, I also make my shampoo bars, dry shampoo, and facials. But that’s for another day.

For a deeper explanation of skin pH and gentle cleansing, see How to Wash Your Face the Right Way: The Role of Water pH in Skin Health.

You Cannot Buy Wellness

Somewhere along the way, wellness became a shopping category. We are told that better health is one supplement, gadget, powder, or perfect morning routine away. And, girl, has it gotten expensive.

I sell and recommend products I believe can be useful. Still, a product is only a tool. A beautifully made shovel does not grow tomatoes. Someone has to prepare the soil, plant the seed, water it, remove the weeds, monitor pests, and wait.

Wellness works the same way. You can buy a filter, but you still have to fill the glass. You can buy seeds, but you still have to tend them. You can buy exercise equipment, but you still have to move. You can buy herbs, but you still have to learn how to use them safely and consistently. You can buy the best facial care products in the world, but you still have to use them.

Research on gardening supports what many gardeners already know from experience. Gardening is associated with benefits across well-being, stress, mood, physical activity, and quality of life. The harvest is not only what comes out of the soil. Sometimes the harvest is the person you become while tending it.

Wellness Is Built in Ordinary Moments

Before the emails begin and the meetings take over, I make my rounds through the office plants. Some need water. Some need sunlight. Some need a bigger pot. Some simply need somebody to notice them.

The funny thing is that I think they take care of me, too. They slow me down. They remind me to breathe, to step away from a screen, to drink water, and to appreciate the remarkable design contained in something as ordinary as a mint leaf. Certainly, at those times when work is getting me anxious, I’m grateful to have both my good coworkers and the plants to visit.

Health rarely arrives through one giant decision. More often, it grows quietly through hundreds of small ones: one fresh meal, one walk, one glass of cleaner water, one better night of sleep, one herb growing on the windowsill.

You can invest in excellent tools, but you cannot outsource participation. Wellness has always required stewardship.

Maybe that is why I do not mind being the unofficial office plant lady. Every morning, I think I am caring for the plants. The truth is, I suspect they have been caring for me all along. 🌱

Always, Health.
You control your wellness. 💚

References

1. Corbin, M. (2026, July 25). How I Keep Cool Using Mint and a Frozen Towel on My Neck. Apartment Therapy.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). About Heat and Your Health.
3. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2024). Workplace Recommendations for Heat Stress.
4. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2026). Peppermint Oil: Usefulness and Safety.
5. McKemy, D. D. (2005). How cold is it? TRPM8 and TRPA1 in the molecular logic of cold sensation. Molecular Pain, 1, 16.
6. Pergolizzi, J. V., et al. (2018). The role and mechanism of action of menthol in topical analgesic products. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 43(3), 313–319.
7. Soga, M., Gaston, K. J., & Yamaura, Y. (2017). Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine Reports, 5, 92–99.
8. Panțiru, I., Ronaldson, A., Sima, N., Dregan, A., & Sima, R. (2024). The impact of gardening on well-being, mental health and quality of life: An umbrella review and meta-analysis. Systematic Reviews, 13, 45.