Whether your home is your office because of the pandemic, or whether your office is your home again for at least eight hours a day. A green plant on your desk will definitely boost your productivity and have many other positive effects! For example, you can reduce stress, be more creative or more productive. How? We'll show you!
One day, the wife of Canadian business owner Mike Robinson came up with the idea of putting a plant on the desk of every employee. Mike was sceptical. He thought it would be a waste of time and money, but for his wife's sake he went along with it and didn't regret it. In fact!
Once they had obtained the plants, they asked their colleagues to choose their own, and to do so by looking at themselves from the plant's point of view. Each plant was then given a small plaque with the name of the colleague to whom it belonged: 'I am a friend of…'.
According to their own calculations and observations, 30% more business was done in the period that followed, and the office was full of enthusiastic plant lovers who loved their work. This was more convincing to them than any research.
It was also a surprisingly positive experience that none of the plants died in 5 years. This was probably due to the fact that people had a personal relationship with their plants. The whole workplace became a calmer, more contented place, which they were happy to be a part of.
We followed up Mike's enthusiastic and entertaining presentation and found that similar effects had been noticed by many others. There have been several scientific publications on the subject. We share some of their main conclusions.
Taking care of a plant in your home or office can help you feel more comfortable and relaxed, according to a study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology. Their results showed that being active with plants reduced both physiological and psychological stress responses in participants.
A small study compared the effects of artificial plants, plant photographs, real plants and the complete absence of plants on learning. Measurements of brain activity in the different groups showed that participants were more attentive and focused in the presence of living plants than in the other groups.
Often cited research from 1996 showed that plants boost performance and creativity. People who worked in an office decorated with live plants were 12% faster and less stressed than those who did not.
Research conducted with Amazon employees found that workers who had a living plant in the office had greater job satisfaction and more commitment to the company than those who didn't. This is related to the stress-reducing effects mentioned above.
Horticultural therapy has been known for decades to alleviate symptoms of mental illness (depression, anxiety, dementia). In Manchester, England, mental health professionals prescribe potted plants.
A 2007 study found that people who have green plants at work take less sick leave.
In conclusion, houseplants are not only eye-catching, but also wonderful for their positive effects. They provide an affordable way for anyone to connect with nature in an urban environment. The easiest way to increase efficiency - and creativity.
