Having Plants in Your Office Promotes Productivity
With current design and lifestyle trends veering toward minimalism,
it’s easy to forget that sometimes less doesn’t equal more. A recent psychological study
conducted at Exeter University found that offices with lean, minimalist
aesthetics have fewer benefits for workers than spaces which
incorporate office landscaping and decorative plants. According to the
study, workers were 15% more productive when a few indoor plants were
added to their sparse office space. If you still aren’t convinced, here
is a simple breakdown of all the health, happiness, and productivity
benefits you can reap by keeping a live plant on your desk.
Improve Memory Retention
The
Exeter University study found that when one plant per square meter was
added to a bare office space, employee memory retention improved
significantly. According to an article in The Daily Mail,
the Royal College of Agriculture has also found that adding plants to
classrooms boosts learning outcomes. Improving memory retention allows
workers to complete tasks more quickly and efficiently, thus increasing
productivity.
Boost Creativity
Exeter
University also found through further experiments that improving the
design of a workspace with plants can increase a space’s positive
psychological connotations. This can improve worker creativity by as
much as 45%. Boosting your creativity while at work will make you feel
more inspired by the tasks at hand and will motivate you to cross items
off your to-do list as quickly as possible.
Decrease Anxiety and Fatigue
A study
done by the Department of Horticulture at Kansas State University found
that live indoor plants have benefits in hospitals by reducing anxiety,
fatigue, and blood pressure in recovering patients. The study encourages
the use of plants in hospital environments but there is no reason why
office workers can’t reap the same benefits by keeping plants in their workspace. It’s easy to see how a reduction in anxiety and
fatigue will help you achieve a more productive workday.
Improve Attention Span
There is also research
which shows how interior landscaping choices can improve concentration
and attention span. This research, conducted at the Norwegian University
of Life Sciences, demonstrates that looking at natural elements, such
as foliage, can rest and reset the brain’s attention system. This system
naturally tires from other types of activities, such as looking at a
computer screen for prolonged periods of time.
Boost Your Overall Health
A
second Norwegian institution, the University of Agriculture, has found
that indoor plants can boost your overall good health. Live interior plants have
been shown to decrease coughs, sore-throats, and colds by over 30%, thus
reducing the number of sick-days employees take per year. Even if you
work for yourself, improved health means less time sick in bed and a
more productive output.
Increase Air Quality
Keeping
a plant on your desk has innumerable health benefits. On the most basic
level, plants oxygenate the air, which feeds your brain and increases
your potential work output. A NASA study
also found that interior plants can remove indoor air toxins by anywhere
from 60%-90%, depending on the type of plant. Rooms with plants have
also been found to contain over 50% fewer airborne molds and bacteria
than rooms without. With fewer pollutants in the air and lots more
oxygen, your brain will be healthier and more productive.
Add Plants To Your Office
By
now it’s easy to see how adding simple living plants in your workspace can promote
your daily productivity by improving the health and wellness of your
office environment. Contact Everything Grows today to have one of our in-house designers visit your office for a complimentary consultation and design proposal. Let us help you get more productive!