10 Best Office Plants to increase productivity

10 BEST Office Plants to increase productivity

SEVERAL RECENT STUDIES POINT SIMILAR CONCLUSIONS!

Plants placed at desk help to increase concentration level and reduce stress, several recent studies show boost in productivity when plants are placed around work areas, apart from adding to the beauty plants help to clean VOC. As its well explained by Biophilia hypothesis, employees naturally attract to plants, if not few of them, they will start doing it after understanding benefits associated with them.

Now a days plants not only grown in traditional grow mediums but professionally grown in scientific and light weight potting mediums like coco peat, moss etc, those are planted in eco-friendly planters which contribute to healthy work environment. Lets have a look to the benefit of office plants followed by the list of 10 best office plants to increase productivity:

1. PLANTS IMPROVE VISUAL EFFECTS

By our physical and psychological tendencies we want to feel connected with the nature, when we see a long spread of green grass we want to sit or walk on it, this is quite natural to most of us. Nature has amazing colors and textures which appeal, being surrounded or looking towards it boosts our mental strength, creates positive effect as well as makes the place attractive.

2. PLANTS REDUCE STRESS LEVELS

There has been several studies conducted to understand the impact of plants at workspace and all of them concluded with positive results. Washington State Researchers found blood pressure levels go lower and boost in concentration level when plants were present. New UTS research found significant reduction in mental stress when plants were present:

• Tension/Anxiety – 37% reduction
• Depression/Dejection – 58% reduction
• Anger/Hostility – 44% reduction
• Fatigue – 38% reduction

Study strongly recommends to place plants in office areas, at least one plant on a desk will lift the work spirit. Many other studies have presented evidences that plants significantly help to reduce stress levels.

3. PLANTS INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY

Several study reports conclude 10-25% increase in productivity in the environment where plants were present, they found significant improvement on multi-tasking, concentration, attention and patience level. Fever mistakes were made, faster tasks were completed and several other enhancements to common human behaviors. UK based Researcher Dr Chris Knight and his fellow psychologists, who studied for 10 years, concluded that employees were 15% more productive when workplaces were filled with just a few plants.

4. PLANTS INCREASE CREATIVITY

Scientists from University of Exeter found that presence of plants at work environment can increase creativity by 45 per cent and boost productivity by 38 per cent, along with it various other studies conducted in recent present similar evidences.

5. PLANTS REDUCE SICK BUILDING SYNDROME

Researches on workplace with plants have found very positive effects on reduction of sick building syndrome, sickness and absence. Plants help to reduce voc, reduce absenteeism up to 50% and reduce minor illness by 30%.

6. PLANTS CLEAN AIR POLLUTANTS

Air in modern sealed office buildings can contain up to fifteen times more pollutants than the air at outside. Common toxic agents found in the air such as dust, mold, bacteria, mites, benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, carbon monoxide, xylene, toluene, ammonia etc are very harmful and they create a passive environment known as sick building syndrome, long exposure to such pollutants may lead to disastrous diseases like cancer, tumor, lung infection etc. By adding plants can improve the air quality by removing these harmful substances and replacing them with breathable oxygen within the office building.

Correct placement of plants can help to reduce the dry air caused by air conditioners and it can increase humidity level up to 35%, illnesses caused by dry air such as tickly coughs become less common.

7. PLANTS REDUCE NOISE LEVELS

Theory of planting plants along the highways came in existence to reduce the noise, same formula applies to the closed office buildings, plants help to absorb the noise, which adds to increase in concentration and productivity, plants placed in areas with hard surfaces, wood floors, glass, concrete and marble walls etc, effectively absorb noise and reduce distraction.

8. WE WANT BEING ASSOCIATED WITH THE NATURE

Biophilia Hypothesis, Harvard biologist, E.O. Wilson, found that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. Presence of the nature make us feel relaxed and leverage our potential in tasks in hand with better energy and concentration.