Having an office at home is the norm these days since so many companies are choosing to allow more flexible working which includes remote working where possible. Yet there is more to a home office than simply finding a small space somewhere in your property and throwing in a chair and a desk. There is a lot more thinking that has to go into the setup than that if you want to be productive, comfortable, and enjoy your working day.
One of the things you can add to your home office is a houseplant, or even multiple houseplants if the mood takes you. Why is this a good idea? Read on to find out.
Improve Air Quality
It was in 1989 that NASA conducted a study that proved plants help to clean the air, and having them within your home – or home office – means that the air is purer and therefore better for you.
Impure air can lead to poor health such as a stroke, heart disease, respiratory problems (including asthma), and even lung cancer since it is full of pollutants. The purer the air, the better it is for you.
Stress Reduction
As comfortable and cozy as our home offices might be, that doesn’t negate the fact that they can also be places of extreme stress and anxiety. This is where we work, after all, and the workplace and all the pressure it brings can be very stressful indeed.
As strange as it may seem, having plants in the room with you can reduce the symptoms of stress. It might not make the work any easier to deal with, but with lower blood pressure and a clearer mind, you’ll be able to do it without causing yourself quite as much harm.
Reduce Sickness
Speaking of harm, did you know that having houseplants in your office can help you stay healthy (and not just because of the purer air as mentioned above)? A study carried out in Norway shows that when there were no plants in an office, staff were sick around 60 percent more than when there were plants.
Having plants in your home office, then, may help you to feel healthier in general. Although many homeworkers do come to work even if they’re feeling unwell because they don’t have a commute to contend with and they can work in comfortable clothes, taking breaks when required, it’s better not to have to power through, and if houseplants in your office are the way to make sure that doesn’t happen, so be it.
Boost Productivity
The more work you can get done in a shorter amount of time, the more time you have available to spend with your family, or reading a book, or playing games, or watching TV, or exercising… or whatever else it is you want to do. Yet sometimes this is not what happens when you’re working from home. Distractions and your additional level of comfort can combine to make your working day a long one, even if the tasks themselves are simple ones that, if you were in an office away from home it wouldn’t take you as long to complete.
Studies have shown that just by adding some plants to your home office, you can improve your productivity by as much as 15 percent. The reasons behind this link to emotions and memory, but no matter what the reasons are, the fact that it happens has to be a boon.
Kori
Latest posts by Kori (see all)
- Cultivating A Happier Home Environment In 5 Steps - March 1, 2024
