With Christmas and New Year out of the way, we now start the long and slow march into spring. Traditionally, January and February are the gloomiest of months and after the exciting build up to Christmas, the first two months of the new year can feel dull and depressing in comparison. This can easily affect both employee morale and workflow, but don’t despair as there are ways you can brighten up your office through these dark days, and one such way is with the use of office plants. If this suggestion feels underwhelming to you, than you’re probably not aware of the benefits that a humble office plant can have.
For a start, green is considered one of the more relaxing colours to have in the workplace, educational or leisure environment. However the colour green does not have to cover the walls and floor to have a relaxing effect as by simply adding and array of plants strategically placed will give each employee a block of green to see from their desk. But the benefits of office plants is not just about the colour, it’s also about the biology of the plants themselves.
As you’re probably aware, plants work by a process called photosynthesis where sunlight and carbon dioxide are converted into oxygen. This process also helps to remove many airborne toxins from the atmosphere, and in a busy office this can be of great benefit to those who spend 30-40 hours a week there as they will be less likely to pick up and bugs which may result in time off sick. Office plants are quite literally a breath of fresh air as we humans breathe in the oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, which the plants then absorb through their leaves and turn it into mainly sugars from which the office plant feeds. A by product of this process which the plant has no use for is oxygen, which the plant releases into their immediate atmosphere and therefore giving us our next breath.
The fact of the matter is that by putting plants in your offices or hire office plants has a positive psychological affect due to the green colour of the leaves and stems. They also have a positive affect on the environment thanks the process of photosynthesis which not only cleans the atmosphere, but also provides the oxygen we humans rely on. Office plants also have an aesthetic advantage with their natural form, making any office look far more welcoming than its walls and furniture would alone. Office plants, when properly placed can also help cut down on noise within the office as their leaves can break up and scatter sound waves from say a busy printer or the gentle hum of computer fans. Noises which can easily distract and annoy your employees, making them less productive in their job.
With all these positive benefits of office plants, it’s hard to find a good reason not have them. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, we at Funky Yukka do and can easily turn up on a regular basis to water and care for your plants whilst you get on with being productive.