How do succulents confess their feelings?
"Aloe you vera much!"
What did the hungry plant say to the other plant?
"I could use a light snack."
All jokes aside, plants aren't here just for their hilarious puns. Not only do they give us oxygen, but they have so much more to offer. Adding plants to an office interior can certainly make the place look nicer, but do they have an effect on the employees?
In today's working era, it is always clever to look for ways to improve your working environment. Surprisingly the smallest changes you make can lead to a happier and more productive you.
Big and bold or small and sparse, office plants are a proven way to reduce stress in the workplace. Different studies have taken place of comparing office spaces with and without plants, and how the different spaces effect the employee’s well-being.
A study in 2010 shows, by the University of Technology in Sydney, significant reductions where found across a range of stress parameters for those working around plants:
Tension/Anxiety - 37% reduction
Depression/Dejection - 58% reduction
Anger/Hostility - 44% reduction
Fatigue - 38% reduction
Confusion - 30% reduction
Overall change in negativity - 64%
Reducing stress isn't the only benefit. Plants clean the air by removing pollutants that contribute to the health of the employees. Our leafy friends can clean everything from carbon monoxide to faecal particals, but it doesn't stop there. By enriching an office space with plants, productivity is increased by 15%.
Why? Having plants around boosts your employee’s morale, an easy way to show them they are valued. Thus this positive influence allows them to become more “physically, cognitively and emotionally involved in their work”.
Biophilia - 'The love of living things'