Indoor Plants: What Your Office is Missing

Indoor Plants: What Your Office is Missing

If you’re one of those people who are stuck working inside an office all day, adding a little green to the scene in the form of plants can do wonders for your work environment. Office plants can provide a long list of benefits including:

  • Alleviating stress – If squeezing rubber balls or taking walks around the building aren’t helping you cope with stress at work, try adding a plant or two to your work area. According to one study, placing plants in an office reduced worker anxiety by 37 percent, while anger and hostility decreased 44 percent.
  • Improved air quality – Although smoking bans have helped improve office air quality in recent years, office environments can still be a haven for dust, bacteria and airborne germs. Plants help clean the air of these and other toxins that come from man-made products found in offices such as computers, paint, plastics and carpeting.
  • Enhanced creativity – In workplaces where creativity is important, plants can stimulate the creative process. One theory is that the presence of plants triggers an instinct that makes people believe food is nearby, which causes them to relax and think more freely.
  • Increased productivity – In addition to getting the creative juices flowing, some studies also indicate that plants can improve cognitive thinking and focus due to their ability to absorb excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As a result, people are able to produce more work while making fewer mistakes. Plants can also increase productivity by helping prevent minor illnesses and eliminating the need for “mental health days” that can result in excessive absenteeism.
  • Better working environment – Placing plants around an office can create a more pleasant, aesthetically pleasing work environment. Plants also have the ability to reduce “white noise,” making the office quieter so it is easier to concentrate.

Which Plants Work Best in Office Environments?

The best plants for offices are smaller ones that do not need ample sunlight to prosper — although you can always place plants on a windowsill or under a skylight to increase exposure to the sun. It can also be a good idea to choose plants that don’t grow too big and can survive without constant attention — unless you feel like coming in on the weekends to water your plants! Options include:

  • Rubber plants
  • Peace lily
  • Aloe
  • Succulents
  • English ivy
  • Spider plants
  • Pothos
  • Snake plants
  • Cactus
  • Dracaena
  • Umbrella plants
  • African violets
  • Boston ferns

Make It an Office Project

Indoor plants are readily available at your local greenhouse or home and garden store, or you can grow your own at home and bring them in to work. You could also make plant-growing a teambuilding exercise that everyone at the office can get involved in. Hydroponic gardening, which is the process of growing plants without soil, works extremely well in an indoor setting. Safer® Brand carries a wide assortment of organic hydroponic gardening products that can help you grow attractive, healthy plants in your office or any other indoor environment.

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