You know the feeling when working from home, when you’ve opened the fridge ten times that day and still expect to find something new to nibble on. Keeping focused can be hard and WFH is something many of us have had to adjust to. But ‘Rona’ or not, it's also set to become a growing trend as businesses shift to a more mobile workforce.
Here’s a little secret, plants can help keep you focused & productive at work!
A Harvard study that examined high-performing offices found that people working in green certified buildings experienced a 26% boost in cognition, 6% rise in sleep quality and 30% less sickness related absences.
Plants boost cognition:
Plants use photosynthesis to absorb carbon dioxide through their pores. This helps to counter CO2 in the air by releasing oxygen, which improves brain productivity.
Being around plants can also increase memory retention by up to 20% and boost staff well-being by 47% at work. How? The calming influence of natural environments helps a person to concentrate on the task at hand.
Plants reduce stress & enhance social interaction:
Studies have found that plants significantly reduce stress levels. People who are around more houseplants are also more likely to help others, and often have more active social relationships. It makes sense, people who care for nature are more likely to care for other people! So all you plant nerds out there (me included) who prefer holing up at home with your plants than being around people, you may surprise yourself.
“A green office is a productive office” – Forbes
Plants keep you healthy:
According to the World Green Building Council, plants in the office have been noted to lead to as much as a 68% reduction in reported respiratory problems and a 64% reduction in reported allergy problems, reducing absenteeism to less than 4 days per person per year.
So basically, having that green plant shelfie in the background of your zoom calls could help you get that next promotion too ;)
