Have you heard of ‘biophilia’? This is basically the inbuilt desire that all humans have to be closer to nature. Despite the fact that this need is pretty much universal we have still designed many of our spaces today excluding nature from them. This is a shame, as having plants in your space has many advantages and can be transformative for office environments. These are just some of the benefits.
Stress management
One recent study identified plants in the office as the reason for stress reduction among staff. Staff reported that plants caused a 37% drop in anxiety and 58% drop in dejection or depression., this can also be achieved by the placebo effect of having artificial plants in the office. Likewise with artificial plants, colour psychologists argue that the colour green can have a relaxing and calming effect on individuals.
Boosting productivity
One plant per square metre is all you need to achieve a productivity boost according to research from the University of Exeter. Memory retention improves thanks to the presence of plants and productivity is boosted by 15%.
You’ll attract the best people
Increasingly, candidates looking for opportunities are focused on the culture and environment of the business that they’re choosing to work for and not just salary and benefits or career progression. A third of us say that the design of a workplace is likely to affect whether we decide to work for a company or not so this is a key factor to bear in mind if you’re keen to ensure you’re always attracting the best people.
Plants absorb noise
Offices can be noisy environments and this is often distracting. Well placed plants in pots around a space will tend to absorb the sound and help to stop it from travelling. This can mean that the negative impact of constant office chatter is reduced and productivity and focus receive a boost.
Increasing creativity
Where natural elements are present in an office there is an instant boost to the creativity of those who are occupying that space. One report suggested that employees score around 15% higher for creativity when elements such as plants are included in their space.
Adding plants to an office space can have a positive impact all round, from the way that employees perform to how everyone feels.
