Plants aren’t just great to look at, they boast several unique benefits for anyone who brings them into their home. As more of us continue to work from home, it’s time to consider adding some nature and a splash of life to our home offices.
House plants have become increasingly popular over the last few years, and for good reason. They bring a touch of nature to your home, they clean the air, and they are proven to reduce stress and improve productivity.
Here, we explore the profound benefits of grabbing some planters and houseplants and adding them to your home office.
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The Benefits of Desk Plants in Your Home Office
Plants Reduce Stress
It’s true! Studies have found that just looking at plants can reduce stress in people. One particular study from Sydney found that plants significantly reduced stress levels among workers when introduced to the office.
Results included a whopping 37% decrease in tension and anxiety, plus a 58% decrease in depression. During this challenging time with the pandemic, a plant might be the lift in morale you need to get through each week.
Plants Boost Productivity
People differ with their productivity levels when working from home. Some actually improve their productivity, while others fail miserably and end up watching far too much Netflix. For the latter, adding some desk plants to the office may help keep you focused on your work and not the TV.
How does it work? One study suggests that making your workspace more aesthetically interesting can boost your productivity by 15%. Most home offices are dull, and life working at home can be tedious and isolated. Desk plants might be the spark of life you need to get more done.
Plants Reduce Sickness
Amazingly, plants have been found in numerous studies to decrease the rate of sickness and absenteeism among workers. One major study that assessed over 7,600 office workers discovered that adding plants resulted in a 15% increase in general wellbeing.
It’s believed that plants do not physically help you reduce sickness. Instead, the psychological benefits of having plants in the office lead to better moods, which helps prevent illnesses from developing.
Plants Remove Pollutants from the Air
Did you know plants are natural air purifiers? Back in the 80s, NASA discovered in one of their studies that plants were excellent at removing chemicals such as benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from the air.
If you live out in the countryside, maybe this isn’t such an issue. But, if you live in a big city or the suburbs, your home is likely full of airborne chemicals that, over time, can negatively affect your health.
If you’re at home, isolating in lockdown or quarantine, office plants may be a helpful addition to your workspace to ensure you’re getting some quality fresh air.
Plants Boost Creativity
No matter what your job is, it’s likely you need some level of creativity to do your work well. Great news, plants can boost your creativity levels. A report from 2015 found that offices with plants realized a 15% increase in worker creativity.
It’s believed that just looking at elements of nature can shift your brain into a different processing mode that relaxes you and allows you to be more creative. This is called the Attention Restoration Theory.
Is It Time to Add Desk Plants to Your Home Office?
Unequivocally, yes. Office plants are truly magical, with the ability to transform your workspace and home and realize several important health and psychological benefits.
If you work from home and are locked in one room for most of the week, plants will brighten your day, reduce any stress, boost productivity, keep your creative juices flowing, boost your work quality, and put a smile on your face.
Get creative with your plant arrangements. Look for unique indoor plants and beautiful indoor planters for them to live in that will add an element of nature and life to your workspace.