Do you have plants in your home? Perhaps fragrant fresh herbs growing in the kitchen, a collection of sculptural little succulents, or some lush trailing plants in your living room?
Plants are now a familiar feature in stylish interiors and practically considered an essential home decor element. We’re re-discovering the beauty of bringing nature into the home and embracing biophilic design.
But often our desk or home office gets neglected. When in fact it’s just as important – if not more so – to have some plants where you work.
There are so many benefits to having them in your work space and it could help change the way you work. Yes, really!
So now it’s time to take things a step further by bringing some biophilia into your workplace.
Here are seven reason to add some plants to your home office today.
1) Plants improve productivity and concentration
When you have to concentrate on tasks like calculations, reading and admin – or tackling the dreaded email inbox – it can sap your energy. Before long your mind begins to wander elsewhere. Perhaps you open up another tab on your computer to check Facebook or read an article, only intending to spend a couple of minutes on it. But before you know it, an hour has passed and you’re still no closer to completing all those work tasks.
Research shown that we are more productive when surrounded by greenery. Plants can offer a restorative function. They help keep you alert and energised, so you’re able to focus and work more efficiently and your productivity levels increase.
2) Promote creativity
It’s hard to feel inspired in a sterile office devoid of greenery. It just leaves you feeling demotivated and bored. However, something amazing happens when you are surrounded by plants. In a study conducted by the University of Exeter found it increased creativity by up to 45%. So if you want to come up with some bright ideas, you need to work in a more biophilic space.
3) Reduce stress
Bringing some nature into your home office can help you to relax and make you feel calmer. It’s been found to help lower blood pressure and reduce your levels of stress. And in addition to lower feelings of tension, anxiety and anger.
4) Wellbeing
Plants are good for our health. They make us feel better both mentally and physically. They have been found to help lower blood pressure and cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body.
5) Improve air quality
Not only do plants increase the amount of fresh oxygen in the air, but they can improve the air quality too. In a study conducted by NASA, they discovered that some plants were able to filter toxins and pollutants from the air.
6) Instant decoration
There’s no quicker and easier way to decorate your home office than adding a few pot plants. It gives your work space an instant update that feels fresh, vibrant and energised. Whether you work from home or at an office, some green on your desk will add decoration, make it feel less grim and more inspiring.
7) Plants make you feel happy
The biophilia hypothesis introduced by Edward O Wilson suggests that as humans, we have an inherent attraction to nature and other living things. We like being surrounded by greenery. But even more than that, contact with nature is essential to our wellbeing. Quite simply, plants make us feel happy.
So what better reason than that to have plants in your home office?
PS: You may also like to read: 10 Reasons to Have Plants in Your Home