It has long been known that spending time in nature among the beauty of plants and trees adds a dimension of peace and clarity to your mind. One of the best ways to calm down when going through difficult situations or experiencing heavy sorrow is to spend time in nature. Often, however, being able to get outside into nature is not possible, especially during work hours. And so it is, many commercial offices have decided to have living plants as part of their essential décor. And, interestingly, it has been shown that there are several benefits for having office plants. The UTS study in 2010 discovered offices that contained plants derived such benefits as:
- “37% reduction in anxiety
- 44% reduction in office hostility
- Reduced chronic fatigue by nearly 40%
- 58% in reported depression.”
Taking a closer look at the many benefits plants can bring to the office environment, we find:
- Plants clean the air. The way plants breathe takes pollutants out of the air and puts clean air back in. With all the many harmful particles, especially in city areas where homes and offices are crowded together on streets busy with vehicles, plants area especially important.
- Speaking of streets busy with vehicles, plants can become a barrier to helping cut down traffic sounds. Annoying sounds of tires, horns, and dogs barking can make an office much less enjoyable and create far fewer distractions.
- The very attractiveness of plants with their variety of leaf patterns and flowers will enhance the creative juices of workers. Many jobs rely on a worker being creative in their job requirements, and the presence of plants has been proven to help.
- Sickness and absentee rates are seen to decline in offices where plants abound. It is likely the reduction of stress that plants produce allows a worker to have a stronger immune system and feel emotionally comfortable in the workplace.
- The productivity of workers has been seen to increase in areas where plants are present. Again, the reduction of stress and the pleasant aroura of plants invigorates a worker to a higher level of productivity.
- And of course, an obvious yet important benefit of plants in the office is the sheer beauty they bring to the environment. Plants can be of the kind to change color and blooms according to the season, another way to stimulate interest and pleasure where you work.
There are many choices of plants that will thrive inside and fit well into an office environment. In part 2 of this blog series, we will look at what some of these plants are. (a note of caution: some people have allergies to certain plants, so be sure to check with those who will be working in the environment where plants will be placed)
