Working from home can be a challenge. These days, it’s hard to tell when the workday begins and ends, and having your TV and bed just a few steps away from your desk only makes it harder. Here at Plantsome, we quickly found that having a green amigo nearby can make all the difference. But don’t just take our word for it! Many studies have shown that having plants in your office can bring many benefits. To show you what great co-workers plants really are, here is a list of the top three reasons why you need plants in your home office.
1. Plants help reduce stress
Life can be stressful. Luckily, studies have found that sharing your workspace with some green co-workers can be great for your mental health. A study by Washington State found that when plants were in a room, workers were less stressed and had lower blood pressure. And another study found that interacting and taking care of plants can also help reduce stress. Talk about a win-win situation!
2. Plants are natural air producers
Smell that? Fresh air has been found to have many positive effects on one’s work performance, productivity, and health. As we explained in our last blog, plants have the amazing ability to convert CO2 (carbon dioxide) into oxygen. This can be especially useful for a home office where fresh air is in short supply and the air can feel stuffy. Some plants even take their oxygen-making abilities a step further and are able to purify air! They do this by absorbing harmful substances and micro-organisms through their leaves, which they then break down in their roots. The result is cleaner, fresher, and more humid air. Now that’s a great co-worker!
3. Plants increase productivity and creativity
While it's true that plants reduce stress and clean the air, researchers have also found that they can enhance the productivity, creativity and concentration of employees. In a study that tested an office space with and without plants, researchers discovered that a green environment resulted in 15% more productivity. Even a single plant in the office was found to help increase creativity! This is likely due to the soothing appearance of plants, which naturally make people calmer, making them focus better and form new ideas. Air purifying plants also have the ability to improve work performance by cleaning the air, which promotes concentration. Nice!
The Five Best Plants for the Home Office
- Peace Lily: air-purifying masters with beautiful white flowers that will give any space a sense of calm.
- Sansevieria: easy to care for and great air-purifiers. Their snake-like leaves are also great for creative inspiration. Just look at how interesting they look!
- Dracaena: eat harmful substances for breakfast and they don't need a lot of water to do it.
- Zamioculcas: strong air purifiers who also happen to be some of the easiest plants to care for. No light? No problem!
- Aloe: super succulents that are easy to care for and sure to bring workplace inspiration through their unique, alien-like looks.
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