Make Your Home Office More Productive With Indoor Plants
For most of the past decade, I’ve worked from home, which means I’ve read almost every article on how to make your home office more productive. Heck, I even wrote an entire book on how to be more productive at work.
Typical techniques for convincing your family members that you are actually working and should leave you alone, dressing like you are walking into an office with people in it, and using the Pomodoro Technique to divide big tasks are all old hat. … me (and any other homeworker). However, this week I stumbled upon a new one: buy houseplants.
In general, hacking falls into the category of getting your office where you really want to be. I am a big believer in creating a pleasant work environment, keeping it clean and tidy so it feels like you are going to the office. The plant idea falls within the same lines.
Researchers at the University of Exeter found that offices with plants were generally happier places to work and more productive than those that passed through green spaces.
As part of the study, researchers examined the effects of lean and green offices on office workers’ perceptions of job satisfaction, air quality, and concentration, and tracked productivity levels in both types of office over several months.
According to the study, having offices with factories led to increased job satisfaction and employee engagement.
Will a potted plant on your desk make you go through this report faster? I would say, probably not.
However, I have definitely seen noticeable differences in my productivity when I work in a pleasant rather than sterile environment. Plants are an easy way to decorate a space and can liven up boring table settings.
Plants have been a staple on my desktop for many years, which, therefore, have been some of the most productive for me. Coincidence? Probably. But if you are currently working in a boring environment, a small factory may be just what you need to give your workplace and your productivity a kick.