Office plants are back in... and we're right behind the trend!
From decades of research, scientists have officially proven that keeping plants in the office is beneficial to health, both physically and mentally. The justifications are plentiful and it’s not just about enhanced productivity.
Remember the days of long biology lessons learning about photosynthesis and respiration? Well here’s how it works in a real life situation. Plants clean the air in your office, thereby reducing dust, bacteria and mould. Have you ever considered what is going into the air that you breathe in your office space? According to the EPA, indoor air is now more polluted than outdoor air.
With the average human breathing between 10,000 and 70,000 litres of air every day, that’s a lot of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere in your office space. Aside from our fellow-humans, waste air is also emitted from electrical devices such as photocopiers and laptops, and from surfaces such as vinyl flooring.
Implementing some office plants will help to clean the air and make the office a healthier place for everyone.
In a recent study, office plants were also proven to improve happiness in the office. We’re right behind this one! If plants can improve happiness in the office, what is there not to love? In the study, the no-plant control group scored a 30% increase in overall negative feelings.
Aside from happiness, other benefits included reduction in fatigue, anxiety and stress. Which all points towards enhanced productivity. Helping your people to be more productive will in turn improve job satisfaction and enhance wellbeing.
There is no specific research telling us why office plants make such a huge difference to the atmosphere in your office, but we feel that the plants have a certain influence on the office space. An organic structure like a plant is so far removed from neat man-made rows of desks and seating. The effect of nature has an unexplained calming influence on humans.
Use plants to absorb excess sound in your workspace, masking distractions and background conversations.
What are the best ways of adding some living plants to your office space without turning it into a mass of pots, spilt soil and trailing tendrils that represent the local garden centre? Here are some ideas of the best ways to present your plants, and also the best choice of plants for the office environment.
When choosing plants for your office, bear in mind that they need to be fairly hardy. Air conditioning doesn’t suit all plants.