How Office Plants Make Employees More Productive

Biophilia is the term used to describe the innate human desire to connect with nature. Even if you don’t think about it, the evidence often shows in your overall well-being. Numerous studies have proven how a short walk with nature can instantly boost your whole being. 

Sadly, the spaces you spend most of your days are in your workplace. Most offices don’t have much connection to the natural environment. Often situated in high-rise buildings next to a busy street or bustling neighborhood, offices lack the healing energies of greenery and nature. 

As businesses learn about the benefits of plants, particularly in increasing productivity, more and more office spaces are putting a dash of natural greens and colors. You can buy decorating materials and plants for some DIY projects. 

Alternatively, you can hire reputable plant hire services like Tropical Plant Rentals or similar ones. They can supply indoor plants to liven up your workplace. Click here to know more. So, how do plants increase employee productivity? 

Here are the answers:

Boost Overall Health

The most significant benefit of adding plants is improving your employees’ well-being. Doing so translates to reduced sick days, making them more productive overall. Scientists revealed that plants could remove chemicals such as benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from the air, commonly found in cleaning products, paints, and wood furniture.

Below are some ways plants can boost overall health:

• Placing several plants around the office can instantly improve ventilation
• They can reduce the risk of employees developing ‘sick building syndrome.’
• Plants help prevent breathing issues and worsening allergic symptoms, enhancing employees’ health.
• Plants can filter out toxins from the air, refreshing office spaces.

By nature, humans and plants have a mutual relationship. Humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Plants do the exact opposite–absorbing carbon dioxide while releasing the oxygen humans need. 

Increase Concentration And Focus

According to research, employee productivity can increase by up to 15% when you put some greenery in a ‘lean’ office. About 70% of people claim that plants can help improve the atmosphere in the office. Meanwhile, over 30% said that plants could help them focus and concentrate better when working. 

Several studies show that plants can help improve memory retention while increasing concentration and focus. They can also help reduce feelings of mental fatigue, thereby increasing productivity. Experts believe you become happier and can work better in a workplace environment that gets you ‘psychologically active.’

Visually Engaging

Beyond their ability to clear the air in your office and increase mental efficiency, plants also have visual benefits that extend to psychological and emotional well-being. Plants and other succulents are deemed soothing and relaxing to the eyes.

On the other hand, most office employees tend to stare at computer screens all day long. Doing so contributes to tired eyes or eye strain, affecting productivity. Experts recommend resting the eyes briefly every 20 minutes. They also suggest that you look more at nature for more efficiency. 

Green is a cool color. It features a shorter wavelength, making it relaxing to the eyes. Since it has a shorter wavelength, you don’t need to focus and adjust to see the color, reducing strain. Seeing green can send signals to the nervous system to relax. This color offers a sedating visual quality, evoking a calming sensation, optimism, excitement, life, and compassion. 

Minimize Noise

Office and commercial buildings are often prone to noise pollution—from a busy main road, a neighboring market, or other commercial establishments. If there’s too much noise, employees can be distracted. It’s considered one of the most frustrating productivity blockers in the office. If this is an issue, plants can help. 

Did you know that plants can help reduce noise? It’s one of the lesser-known benefits of plants and greenery. Plants can reduce noise levels in a few ways:

• Absorption
• Deflection
• Refraction

A plant can either break and bounce the sound into other forms of energy, eliminate the echoes, or absorb it. As such, you can use plants in several applications to reduce noise. For instance, urban designers often put trees and shrubs to muffle the noise of busy roads. Plants along freeways can reduce noise distributed to nearby communities. 

Plants can help reduce unwanted noise inside buildings. Placing greeneries in the office can help muffle unwanted ambient noise from the outside. As a result, fewer distractions can improve your employees’ focus and productivity. 

Takeaway

There’s no denying that nature can heal. Regardless of your office’s interior aesthetics, the benefits of adding indoor plants extend beyond just mere decoration. Today, businesses of all sizes invest in soothing greenery to boost employees’ well-being and productivity.