Plants Enhance Workplace Well Being

Does your workplace environment nurture your mind?  It can.  If your office has both a window view and/or plants, you can cut down on stress and anxiety.

Many recent studies on job satisfaction reveal that workers who spend more time in offices under artificial light, or in cubicles with no outside view, report reduced job satisfaction. Light also decreases stress levels, and plants offer nature's dividends to your work environment.

A manager friend described going to a local nursery, picking out colorful potted plants and putting one on each employee's desk, first thing in the morning.  Smiles erupted all around and he noticed more productivity, that day.  Fresh potted blooms and plants in your office can your serotonin level.  Think of doing this as a serotonin tap for yourself and others, if your manager or supervisor doesn't.  The addition of many plants can enhance well-being for all and make people feel better at work.

In particular, Jonathan Kaplan, points out that plants have been shown to...

• Lower blood pressure (systolic)
• Improve reaction times
• Increase attentiveness
• Improve attendance (at work and school)
• Raise productivity (at work)
• Enhance well-being
• Enrich perceptions of the space
• Lower levels of anxiety during recovery from surgery
• Boost job satisfaction

Helps me to think twice about including fresh plants in my office.  You?

Indoor plants at work also improve the air quality by removing pollutants, in addition to boosting creativity and productivity, in addition to improving comfort levels according to Smith and Pitt's article published in the Journal of Corporate Real Estate (2009).  Smith and Pitt argue that indoor plants have potential to alleviate sick building syndrome symptoms. 

I need all the serotonin taps I can get throughout a work day.  Hmmm...  my next outing is to the nursery!