Feel better outside to feel better inside. Researches have proved that introducing green plants to your office space positively influences your mood and in turn increases overall productivity.
Not only does Indoor office plants just brighten up your building, make it seem more inviting, and help to promote a more professional image to your visitors; as a matter of fact, having plants in your office can also bring plenty of health benefits
From helping allergy suffers, to improving work quality, and better staff morale, here are the main benefits of introducing indoor plants to office space.
In addition to reducing the amount of mold, dust, and bacteria in the office and lowering CO2 content, indoor office plants improve the air quality by raising the humidity inside the office. The best plants to serve this purpose are Dracaenas, Ferns, and the Snake Plant.
By increasing humidity levels, these plants will stop the air in the office becoming very dry, which in turn may dry out your eyes and skin. Apart from causing uneasiness, it also causes dehydration, which can result in dizziness, headaches, and more severe symptoms. Dry air can also aggregate asthma and allergies, as well as increase the spread of flu, colds and other sickness bugs.
Did you know? Having office plants can reduce the amount of bacteria, dust, and mold being inhaled by you, making them an effective way of lowering CO2 levels in the office workspace . In fact, it has been concluded that having a ratio of just 1 plant per 3 employees will halve CO2 levels, while the introduction of plants will reduce the amount of dust in the office by around 20%.
This is great news for allergy and asthma sufferers, as dust mites and mold spores are both known triggers for asthma attacks. With 1 in 3 people being allergic to mold, with symptoms such as sneezing, coughing and dry eyes, more greenery in the workplace will also result in less “sick offs” being taken by the staff.
Despite the fact that hay fever is estimated to affect a lot of people, sufferers can still benefit from introducing indoor plants to office space without the runny eyes and runny noses! Choosing plants with insect-pollinated flowers (such as pansies, hydrangeas, and peonies) are good alternatives as they don’t release pollen grains into the air.
Having plants in the office can greatly increase your mood by making it appear more welcoming and homely. Interior plants have been found to reduce stress levels and increase creativity, which improves staff well-being and makes for a more productive workforce.
According to UTS research done in 2010, introducing plants to the workplace decreased tension and anxiety levels by 38%, while reducing feelings of anger by around 44%. Additionally, fatigue was shown to have been reduced by 38%.
One theory is that this increase in productivity could be due to the fact that plants evoke our basic human instincts that food is nearby. As a result, we feel happier and more relaxed and thereby are more productive and creative when working. According to findings from Washington State University, productivity increased by 12% when people completed tasks on a computer whilst in the presence of plants.
Another benefit of office plants is that it increases productivity by boosting concentration and memory. As a University of Michigan study found, being around plants can increase memory retention by up to 20%. Another study also found that the presence of one plant per square meter in the office improved the performance in memory tests and other basic tests substantially.
Another lesser-known fact is that plants help concentration levels by reducing background noise in and outside the office (such as general office chatter, phone calls, and external traffic). In fact, the stem, leaves, and branches are all able to absorb sound, as well as deflect and retract it.
Eliminate the expenses and risks of owning your own office and pay only for the office space you need.