On average, we spend one third of our time at work. So why not create a substitute for a home atmosphere in the office, to forget about it for a while? And with what do we most often decorate our homes? Plants!
Nature has a salutary effect on the human psyche. Surrounding yourself with it soothes the nerves, reduces the level of stress, calms down, helps to concentrate better, stimulates creativity and imagination. It is scientifically proven – hortiotherapy, that is treatment through contact with plants, was used as a supplement to traditional forms of rehabilitation for people with specific health problems as early as at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The solution could be applied in the workplace.
All shades of green
Green, the dominant color in the world of plants, is a color that brings a lot of optimism to life. There is a reason why it is used to arrange space in therapy offices. Surrounding yourself with it calms you down, helps you collect positive thoughts, and also affects your creativity. In addition to its calming properties, green also has a positive effect on eyesight. Ophthalmologists recommend taking frequent breaks from looking at the computer screen and looking at the tops of green trees. An occasional glance at the plants in the corner of your office can be a substitute for this. Especially since staring at certain species of houseplants for a few minutes lowers blood pressure and heart rate. Sight is not the only sense that plants can influence. Although they cannot speak or sing, they have a positive effect on hearing. This is due to the fact that they muffle the room in which they are located.
Take a deep breath
Employees locked in four walls of the office (often without opening windows) do not have access to fresh air. Lack of oxygen contributes to the feeling of tiredness, drowsiness, irritability, slowing down of thought processes and greater exposure to diseases. Contemporary building materials reduce the air humidity in office buildings. The air in them is very dry and reaches only 20-30%. More and more often the phenomenon of indoor “smog” is being talked about (indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air). Even the most modern air purifiers are not adapted to filtering all harmful elements. Plants thanks to their phytoremediation abilities, they clean and increase air humidity and the amount of oxygen in it, as well as lower the temperature. Thanks to the plants, the air in the office is regularly ionized. Numerous studies show that placing potted plants in offices reduces the occurrence of headaches, throat diseases and improves the well-being of people staying indoors. There is a reason why indoor plants are called ‘the green liver’. The group of the most effective air-purifying plants includes: Peace Lily, Low date palm, Nephrolepis, Nephrolepis obliterata, Sternberg’s Chlorophytum, Aglaoneme, Bamboo Palm, Benjamin’s Ficus, Golden Epipremnum, Andrego’s Anthurium, Sapphire Lyrical, Blushy James’s Drachenium, Blushy James , Guinean Sansevieria, Inverted Dracaena and Large-flowered Chrysanthemum.
Green office
Research by the University of Cardiff, the University of Exeter and the University of Groningen shows that an office enriched with plants increases employees’ satisfaction and increases their productivity by up to 15 percent. At the same time the number of mistakes they make is decreasing by 12 percent. It is recommended to place at least one plant per square meter of office space, in such a place that each employee can look at it from behind his desk. In addition, it is worth placing air purifying plants near computer monitors to eliminate the harmful effects of the negative ions they emit. Placing plants in common rooms, conference rooms, meeting places for employees, by triggering positive emotions, will positively affect their integration, willingness to cooperate and create creative ideas. Apparently, employees who work in offices filled with plants also evaluate their boss better.
Fragrant office
When planning the arrangement of plants in the office, do not forget about flowers in other colors than green. Ornamental plants add color and are therefore ideal for decorating rooms. In addition, they smell beautiful, which additionally provides aromatherapy. It is also a way to make a good first impression on customers and contractors crossing the threshold of the company. Greeted with the scent of fresh flowers, they will surely enter the meeting in a better mood. Plants placed in the office also prove the pro-ecological attitude of the company, which strengthens its image.
The fashion for ascetically furnished offices is fading away. Very good. The more vegetation there will be in office buildings, the better for everyone who will spend at least a moment in it.
