If you work at a job that requires you to spend the majority of your time sitting or standing indoors at a work space then you know how mundane and stale a work environment can be. Even with a great team of wonderful people around you and your organization's best efforts to spice up the work space with artwork, yoga balls, beer taps and nerf guns, there is still something missing in most offices. That something is an all too often overlooked connection to nature with indoor plants. Most offices will have a nice plant feature at the front of the office for guests, but what about the rest of the office where all the employees spend their time, what about the desks!?
Before you roll your eyes or think, great, another hippie coming in with some gimmick that's going to change the way we live our lives, let me add that there are many real benefits from having a plant somewhere in your immediate space. Studies have shown some of the more dangerous longterm threats to one's life include chronic inflammation, higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol and a decrease in rates of neurogenesis. One of the best things you can do for yourself, to mitigate the longterm exposure to these harmful factors that are commonly found in employees who work in commercial buildings, is to include more plant life in your immediate living space. It only makes sense to spruce up your workspace with a healthy, living plant that can have so many subtle benefits for your life.
NASA conducted a study that showed how plants are able to remove up to 87% of all toxins and heavy metals from the air within 24 hours. Studies have also shown that anxiety and depression have strong links to poor air quality with high levels of toxins. When more oxygen is present, people's stress and anxiety levels are reduced. Plants also release water vapor in to the air through a process called transpiration, acting as a natural humidifier.
On top of the physiological benefits to having a plant sit near you, there are many psychological benefits as well. The very soil that the plants live in contain small microbes which are also known as "outdoorphins," known to boost mood and reduce anxiety. Of course, the best way to get this effect is to go out in nature, but since our daily lives prevent that access a lot of the time, having a few plants around can help supplement that effect. Owning a plant that is yours and separates your desk from everyone else's can also allow you to add some personality and individual touch, a nice change to the grays, blacks and whites so often associated with office environments. Plants can also give you a sense of purpose with the upkeep, which in turn, is proven to increase productivity and concentration levels. Surrounding yourself with a bit of green can also just make you feel better about the artificial space you are in since everything else is artificial as it provides an important connection to the natural world.
With each plant that we have selected to offer to our customers, we looked closely at the tested health benefits and the ease of care they involve. It is our mission at Desk Plants to provide you with a proven, natural way to make you feel happier and healthier at your desk and be more productive by offering beautiful potted plants that get shipped straight from our greenhouse to your desk. It's as easy as opening the box and placing your new plant in the perfect spot!
