Who watered the plants?
Or there is a plant next to the coffee maker and over time the planter overflows. Everyone throws in their leftover coffee! You can probably imagine something with it.
Still, it is very healthy and good for the company to put real plants in the workplace. In a study by the Universities of Cardiff, Exeter and Queensland, real plants were placed in several Spartan-looking commercial offices in the Netherlands and England. The employees indicated that their concentration improved and that they felt more satisfied in their workplace. Productivity increased measurably by 15%.
Scientific studies have already been carried out on the effect of plants in the working environment. This was in a lab setting. You can read the 5 most important discoveries from this research.
1) PLANTS IMPROVE CONCENTRATION AND MEMORY
Greenery around you ensures that you can concentrate better. So planting around you in the office is a good idea. Bloompost is a company specialized in office flowers and letterbox flowers. A short walk in nature also increases concentration. Even your memory performs 20% better after such a walk through the greenery. And the funny thing is, you don’t even have to enjoy going for a walk outside to experience its positive effect.
2) PLANTS REDUCE THE LEVEL OF STRESS
Plants have a positive effect on your stress level. Washington State University investigated the effect of the presence of plants on the participants when they had to do stressful exercises behind the computer. The result was special! When there were plants in the room along the walls, the stress level was 12% lower and the participants were also able to answer the questions more quickly.
3) REDUCE SICK LEAVE THROUGH A PLANT ON YOUR DESK
They have known in Japan for a long time that our environment influences our well-being. They’ve even made it a philosophy, Feng Shui. In Norway, Tina Bringslimark, professor of psychology at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), and her team examined the correlation between absenteeism and stress and the presence of office plants among 385 Norwegian employees. Other characteristics such as age, light and temperature in the office and work pressure were also taken into account. The result of the research: The presence of a plant in the workplace reduces absenteeism on the part of the employee.
4) LESS DEPRESSED
Research into the effect of plants turns out to be an interesting topic. Universities all over the world are researching this. This is also the case at the University of Technology Sydney. During a three-year study, the researchers found that negative moods and feelings of depression decreased by 58% thanks to a green office.
5) FLOWERS MAKE HAPPINESS AND INVITE TO CONVERSATION
An environment with flowers makes it easier for employees to start a conversation with each other. Communication contributes to a good working atmosphere and experience. Employees who are surrounded by flowers in the office feel happier, more relaxed and less stressed. When you see flowers every day, you look at life more optimistically.