How Plants Can Boost Productivity and Morale

There are many things that can make the workplace more productive, but did you know plants make the list? Plants bring both psychological and health benefits to any location and they can even improve performance and productivity in the workplace.

The Psychological Benefits of Plants

In the home, and in the workplace, plants are known to benefit the mind in a variety of ways.

Reduce Stress

Nature, when brought indoors, can reduce anxiety and burnout in the office, therefore reducing the overall stress employees feel on a daily basis. Studies show the comforting effects of natural environments reduce stress in physical and mental capacities.

Improve Mood

Plants simply make moods better, which helps any workplace remain a happier location. In the U.S. and Europe, people spend 90% of their time inside. According to an article on Greater Good, humans inherently desire a connection to nature. Adding even just one or two plants to a space can lead to calmer, happier moods.

Increase Creativity and Focus

Studies have also shown that the presence of office plants improves concentration, memory, and overall performance. Researchers have worked with brain scans that show people around real plants (not the fake variety) are able to remain attentive and concentrate better than their counterparts.

The Health Benefits of Plants

The New York Times touts research that shows plants can help individuals to reach new levels of health. Those benefits show up in several areas.

Improve Air Quality

It’s a good idea to have plants in any space. Plants are sometimes called “nature’s air filter” since they convert carbon dioxide back into oxygen. Office spaces are known to have a number of toxins in the air including tobacco smoke (even from clothing), the scent of different detergents, paint fumes, and plenty of other chemicals. Plants can help to filter those toxic items out of the space.

Reduce Fatigue and Headaches

Partly because of the air quality, when plants are nearby, people feel less tired and see a decrease in health issues, like headaches, after a long day on the job. Anything you can do to reduce stress helps to also reduce fatigue and tension headaches. Studies show that plans have the calming effect of nature, even inside, and can improve an employee's overall health. The BBC points to a study that placed plants in 60 offices and was able to reduce volatile compounds found in the air by 50-75%.

The Performance/Productivity Benefits of Plans

Every business owner wants the best from their employees, and plants can help with their performance and productivity on a daily basis.

Output Increases

Experts report that employees are often 15% more productive when they have a workplace that includes plants in its aesthetics. Studies show that once plants are introduced into the workplace, the air quality improves and the noise levels lessen. This leads to higher levels of comfort, better moods, and less stress which in turn denotes improved functioning and higher levels of output.

Upgrade Work Quality

Since the air is cleaner and memories are better, the overall quality of work produced is increased when plants are in the space. The Washington Post states that scientists have proven that indoor plants simply make people feel better. When you feel better, you work better; it’s that simple. The way you feel in the workplace directly affects your productivity. One recent five-year study shows that adding plants raised employee satisfaction, work quality, and morale.

Tips for Incorporating Plants into Your Workspace

If your workplace doesn’t currently have plants, but you want to add them, what’s the best way to do so? Here are a few tips to create a plant-friendly environment:

• Choose Low Maintenance Plants

While greenery helps increase air quality, productivity, and health, brown, wilted, dying plants kill the mood. Choose resilient plants that don’t need a lot of attention to stay vibrant. Assign someone with a green thumb to care for them.

• Research the Options

Check the details of any plant you consider to ensure it will be a good fit. Some plants might flower, then drop their wilted flowers to the ground. You want something consistent that doesn’t make a mess and can do a good job of raising health and productivity in your office.

• Place Plants in Break Areas

You may not have enough of a budget to put plants in every alcove of the building. Consider creating a break area with plentiful plants so when your employees take breaks they can spend time in nature right there in the workplace.

• Use Placement Strategies

Think about how your workplace is set up and place plants strategically. If there isn’t a lot of floor space, use hanging plants along the walls. Larger potted plants in low traffic areas can also bring the green.

Finding Plants for Your Office

Transforming a workplace into a plant-friendly space is easy enough, but you want to find the right plants for the space. Where can you find good plants? Here are a few options:

• Farmer’s markets are a great resource for homegrown plants in good condition.
• Home improvement stores have tons of options from tiny plants to full grown potted trees.
• It can be rewarding to grow plants from the seed and you might even make it an office-wide challenge.
• You may not have any plants in your office (yet) but you could ask employees with too many at home to bring some into work.

With that many obvious benefits to having plants in the workplace, it makes sense to include them. Once the plants are in place, watch productivity and morale rise as the plants do their jobs alongside your employees.