Humans have an innate desire to be around greenery. In fact, when asked to imagine a calming and relaxing space, the majority of us would probably answer with a scene involving a natural landscape.
Unfortunately, the spaces we spend the majority of our days in, are often stripped of their connection to nature.
Traditionally, workspaces have been viewed as solely places to make a living. However, today, with the average person spending a third of their adult life at work, we need to make sure these spaces are optimised to be stimulating and pleasurable environments also.
The good news is that by simply adding greenery to our environment, studies show that it can have a positive impact on our workplace wellbeing!
3 Ways Plants Can Improve your Work Wellbeing
Purifies the Air and Reduces Sickness
Boosts Mood Levels and Decreases Stress
In 2018, one in five workers in Ireland reported missing work due to anxiety, stress or depression. While there are many factors at play here, often one of the main causes of workplace stress, lies within the environment itself.
Being cooped up inside all day with little opportunity to get outside, can wreak havoc on our wellbeing. Bringing greenery into the office environment can deliver a much needed moral- boost and work wonders on the physical and emotional health of employees.
But why is this?
Plants have been used as part of a natural form of therapy for decades due to the powerful association of the colour green with feelings of relaxation and calm.
Being surrounded by this colour, in the form of plants, can make us feel more mindful, patient and can help relieve symptoms of stress.
Improves Productivity and Encourages Creativity
Offices can often be pretty sterile, noisy spaces, making it hard for employees to stay motivated or feel content during the work day.
Studies suggest that when surrounded by nature, people’s blood pressure levels are lower, stress is reduced and their minds are given the space to concentrate and create. This has a knock-on effect on productivity levels with research showing a 15% increase in productivity in offices with plants versus those without!
If that wasn’t impressive enough, plants with large leaf surface areas also have the ability to absorb sound and create a sense of tranquility, making them the perfect addition to open plan work spaces.
If you enjoyed this blog, why not check out some of our other similar posts:
@plantstoreireland
At Plant Store, we believe that the care we give to our plants isn’t all too dissimilar to the care we need to give ourselves.
Ultimately, plant care is self-care.
Here are ten lessons we’ve learned about self-care from our foliaged friend 👇
Curious about how the festive wreath came about?
Or how to create your very own from home with our DIY Christmas Wreath Kits?
Grab a festive brew and have a read!