5 benefits of indoor plants

Humans have a strong connection to nature and bringing plants into your immediate surroundings is not only aesthetically pleasing but can also offer strong health benefits. It can have a big impact on your productivity, stress levels, and creativity. Makes you more content, and more focused.

Wondering just how exactly a houseplant can change your life so much? Here are seven reasons why you should invest in some plants for your own desk, or your wider workplace:

Improving your mood

One of the best benefits of plants in the office is humidity control. Dehydration leads to discomfort, fatigue, and poor concentration. Indoor plants work to keep humidity at optimal levels, improving employee hydration and helping everyone to be more comfortable.

Lowering stress and anxiety

Research has shown plants in the home can reduce tension in people by almost 40 per cent, because they remind us of the outdoors, nature, and a slower pace of life, which is instantly calming.

Improving office performance and focus

Studies have found that the presence of plants in the workplace increases overall productivity. Tasks are completed faster, fewer mistakes are made, and focus and concentration levels are boosted. This is especially true in the case of computer workers who experienced a 10-15% boost in their productivity due to the presence of plants in research studies.

Boosting healing and pain tolerance

Researchers at Kansas State University found that patients with plants in their rooms required less pain medication, had a lower blood pressure and heart rate, and felt less anxiety and fatigue when recovering from surgery than patients without greenery in their rooms. Some plants even provide physical healing benefits.

Minimizing the occurrence of headaches by improving air quality

The air-purifying property of plants can also counter headaches. Researchers discovered that plants can help remove benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde from the air. Formaldehyde, a common cause of headaches, is a gas that is used in the production of leather and some carpets and can be present in any indoor environment.

So which plants do best in an office environment?

Not all plants will love to live in your workplace – you need to consider restrictions such as the availability of daylight, and how often they can and will be watered. Those that will thrive in workplaces include succulents (which include aloe and cacti), rubber plants and peace lilies.