Why you should keep plants in the office

MANILA, Philippines – A stressful day at work? You might want to put some plants on your desk for your own benefit.

We all know that adding few potted plants bring a comfortable feel to your work space. Apart from the visual appeal that plants provide, there are much more reasons why you should put a touch of green on your desk. 

Here are reasons that would make you want to put potted plants on your desk:

Reduce frequency of sick leave
Keeping plants in the office can help clean the air and even improve your health, according to a NASA study.

Another study led by environmental psychology expert Dr. Tina Bringslimark and her team at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and Uppsala University, Sweden found that the presence of potted plants in offices reduced fatigue, dry throats, headaches, coughs and dry skin among workers. Results showed that seeing more plants in the office means taking less sick leaves. One explanation is that plants and the microbes in their soil are good at removing volatile, organic compounds that can affect health; this was the same explanation of the NASA study.

Reduce stress
Helen Russell, an environmental psychologist wrote on her dissertation at Surrey University in the U.K. that plants in the office can reduce stress.

The study was mentioned in Earth911. As stated in the article, Russel asked her participants to take a difficult test in a room surrounded with plants. She then compared her participants' skin conductivity, heart rate and blood pressure with people who completed the same test without plants. Overall, Russell’s findings showed that plants eased stress for participants by at least this metric, and that participants recovered from stress more quickly in a plant-heavy environment. 

Increase efficiency and productivity
In a study published in the “Journal of Environmental Horticulture,” researchers from the Washington State University reported that live interior plants helped workers complete tasks with more focus and efficiency.

The study asked workers to complete a simple computer task in a room with plants and compared their performance with workers who completed the same task in the same room without plants.

The productivity of those who did the task with the presence of plants increased by 12 percent. It was also found out that they were more attentive to the task given to them than those who did the task without the presence of greens.

Promotes atmospheric balance
Temperature and humidity plays a great role in one's productivity when working. All of us want to have a cozy workplace and the presence of plants in a room contribute to getting just the right amount of humidity to keep the environment at an ideal comfort range.

Increased fatigue, respiratory discomfort and an overall drop in workplace well-being may occur if there is low humidity. A study in Washington State University that touted the benefits of plants for productivity suggests a touch of green can help fix this problem as well.