Planting some leafy friends around the office has been shown to increase productivity and boost morale. Office plants, like office snacks, can help boost morale and output without breaking the bank.
Read on to learn why it’s a good idea to bring greenery into the workplace.
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Having plants in the workplace is good for worker health and can cut down on sick days.
Plants in the workplace have been shown to reduce absenteeism and increase productivity. Plants naturally purify the air by removing pollutants from the spaces where they are grown. Believe us when we say that the “sick building syndrome” is a real thing, and it could affect your staff if your office has poor ventilation. The symptoms can be similar to the flu, or they can be more specific, like a headache or nausea. Plants in the workplace can help reduce some of the stress and anxiety that comes with this situation.
Common office plants like Devil’s Ivy, Peace Lilies, and Spider Plants are all effective air purifiers, and would look great in any workspace.
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Plants in the workplace have been shown to boost efficiency.
Did you know that offices without any sort of decoration are deemed to be “the most toxic” for human beings? A reputable physician has concluded that adding common houseplants to the workplace improves productivity. After 10 years of research, the team found that having houseplants and other decorations in the office increased productivity by 15%. Reason? Workers who pay attention to and participate in their environments are more productive and less distracted.
Put some office plants in a central location that everyone can see from their desk. Popular options for doing so include the Bamboo Palm, Zebra Plant, the Red-Edge Dracaena.
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Plants are known to inspire innovation.
Lack of inspiration is serious business. Office plants are a great way to get creative juices flowing when you’re feeling stuck or have run out of ideas. To maximize your plant pal’s beneficial effect on your imagination, seek out specimens with striking colors and aromatic qualities. It’s common knowledge that engaging the senses, like stopping to smell the roses, can get the creative juices flowing again.
Try Chamaedorea Elegans, or a Cypress Vine—both are eye-catching and fragrant options.
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Plants in the workplace have been shown to reduce ambient noise.
Plants in the workplace can help muffle background noise, which is especially useful in today’s increasingly open office environments, where employees are undeniably distracted by an excess of ambient noise. This is especially the case if your office has no soundproofing and instead features exposed concrete walls and floors.
The best way to take advantage of this is to place larger plant pots around the room’s perimeter and in the room’s corners. The Weeping Fig, the Snake Plant, and the Dragon Tree are among the taller plants.
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There is evidence that having plants in the workplace can help reduce stress.
Work-related stress is inevitable even if you enjoy your job. There is evidence that having plants in the office can help alleviate stress for workers. A research found the following benefits for workplaces with plants:
Less anxiousness, by 37 percent.
Workplace animosity down 44%.
Obtained a near-40% decrease in chronic fatigue.
Depressive symptoms were reduced by 58%.
Plants like the Desert Gem, Pincushion Cactus, and Blue Barrel Cactus are great options because of the calming influence of the color green.
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Plants can be used as a recruiting tool.
Did you observe that nearly half of all workplaces lack access to natural light? Also, 20% of workers report having nothing natural to look at while they’re at their desks. So many of us are spending our days in a dull, dark room, which, if you asked me, isn’t the most desirable place to work. For this reason, more and more job seekers are considering a company’s physical location when making their decision.
Consider installing a green wall to give off an eco-friendly vibe and wow potential employees.
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Plants in the workplace have been shown to reduce energy consumption.
As it turns out, having a sufficient number of plants in a building can reduce the temperature inside by as much as 10 °C (50 °F) due to the increase in humidity caused by the plants’ respiration. According to research, a single thriving tree can provide the same cooling effect on a building as twenty air conditioners running continuously.
To maximize this effect and cut down on the use of the workplace AC, try bringing in some larger indoor tree species. While this won’t be the silver bullet for cutting down on energy consumption, it can be a good first step in making the workplace greener.