Admit it. We have all had times where we have said that we didn’t want to go to work. Working is a necessity for many of us and it may never be something that we enthusiastically get up for on a Monday morning but there is a way to improve our workspace and make it more attractive; get some plants! Believe it or not, there are actually scientific studies that show having plants around where you work is extremely beneficial on many fronts.

If you don’t believe me just check out some of these documented benefits:

• As far back as the mid-1990’s studies in Norway found that having plants produced real health benefits. When the study concluded it was found that having plants in the workplace had reduced fatigue by 30%, reduced coughs by 37%, and improved skin complexions by 23%. The researchers showed that improved air quality from the plants made people feel and look better.
• A more recent study by Washington State University showed that having plants in the workplace improved productivity. This 2010 reported that the emotional wellbeing of a pleasant environment that included plants made participants 12% more productive than their counterparts in plant-less offices.
• The Australian Nursery and Garden Industry performed their own study in 2010 and found that having plants in the workplace showed a 30% to 60% reduction in stress and negative thinking.

The science doesn’t lie. Having plants where we work improves our health, lowers our stress levels, and improves productivity. Even better news for employers is that you don’t need a large number of plants to make a positive impact on your employees. Estimates are that only 1 plant per 3 employees is needed to gain the benefits found in these studies.

The following plants are good choices as they adapt to a variety of workspaces:

• Succulents such as Cactus and Aloe Vera are easy to care for and often thrive on neglect. They don’t need a lot of water and will look great on a windowsill.
• Peace Lily is another low maintenance plant that even grows well in low-light conditions. They have the added benefit of periodically adding a pretty white flower to the workspace too!
• Pothos Vine and Spider Plants can add some aerial interest. They are quite at home on top of a file cabinet or in a pot suspended from the ceiling.

So you can see that adding a plant is not just a good way to spruce up your workspace. It’s also a great way to boost productivity and help improve the health of your workers. A win-win for everyone!