Today, we live in an environment where the pollutions and the toxins are lurking around in the air that we breathe. But we tend to forget that such harmful pollutants can be a severe problem on our well-being. There have been many attempts to tackle this problem. However, we can start from our own home or office to make it better for ourselves as well as people living in our house and colleagues working in the same office.
To make it suitable to some extent, we can have indoor plants that purify air to some extent. Yes, you heard it right, indoor plants. It may sound a bit off as most of the office are equipped with air purifiers and refreshers, but nothing can beat a natural purifier. Not only the plants take harmful air toxins, but they add natural beauty to the peripheral of office premise. Having flowers either on your desk or in your office, you can always feel the positive vibe which is essential on your mental well-being.
Impact of indoor plants on our well-being at work
- One of the significant benefits of having indoor plants in your office is that it reduces the stress that has been haunting you in your office hours. It’s even been proven in a study that was done in the University of Technology, Sydney which has demonstrated a significant amount of reduction in the stress after they were introduced with the plants in their workplace. Moreover, the color green has a relaxing and calming effect which will eventually lift the spirit and the well-being of the people around the office.
- Having a green plant in the office can also increase the level of productivity. The green plants in the office help in improving memory retention. Moreover, when you are working in an environment where you can see the plant, you will be engaged psychologically and be happier and work better.
- Experts state that plants in the work environment can help reduce the risk of sick building syndrome. One study, reports that introducing a green plant in the office will decrease the symptoms of ill health like fatigue, dry skin, irritation of the nose and eyes.
- The scientists at NASA have claimed that the plants are capable of eliminating chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene from the air to make it safer and breathable for the people to breathe. That means having a plant in your office will make the working environment healthier for you to work in and also let the volatile chemicals be reduced from your workplace.
- Well, this sounds weird, but plants do absorb the sounds, which means all the annoying noisy sounds are absorbed by the plant that is present in the office. And specifically, if you position the larger plant pots in the multiple locations on your office like in the edges and corners of a room, then it will eventually reduce the noise levels present in your office and help you with great positive benefit.
- One of the studies showed that the office which included the elements of nature like the plants scored higher levels of creativity than those whose offices didn’t have the presence of natural elements. Not only that the theory of Attention restoration, suggests that even just looking at nature will shift the brain into different processing mode which lets the people around the office feel more relaxed and focused.
- The benefits of having the office plants are also the humidity control because if any dehydration takes place in the office, then it can lead to discomfort, fatigue, and poor concentration so having the indoor plants will keep the humidity at optimal levels which will result to the comfortable environment and dehydration of workers in the office.
- The scents of the green plants and flowers like African Violet, also play a huge role in the well-being of people in the office. Because it is claimed that the green plants offering subtle scents if placed in the office then, the accuracy in typing and math will increase simultaneously. And in the office culture, such spreadsheet mistakes are life-saving.
- Green plants have an aesthetic appeal which is also one of the hidden benefits. As the visual appeal and the effect, it has on the people around the office hours; it gives the impression of a nurturing company which is adept at helping things thrive.
Best Indoor plants for your office
- Snake Plant
- African Violet
- English Ivy
- ZZ plant
- Aloe
- Philodendron
- Tillandsia
- Oxalis
- Rex Begonia
- Lucky Bamboo
Many of us consider office as a second home where we spend an enormous amount of time and effort. If having a small plant either in the work table or within the office premise can help people working there in their mental well-being, it should be an integral part of the organization.