You spend most of your life in the office, at least eight hours a day. A good reason to pimp up your "second home" a bit – with office plants. These green plants – no matter how big or small – will boost your performance enormously! They provide oxygen-rich air and give you an energy boost at work.
Houseplants for good air
Office plants are arguably one of the simplest biohacks ever: You don't need any discipline or lifestyle changes. Buy a green plant and let it work wonders. One of the main benefits of green plants in the office is improved air quality. Through photosynthesis, these green purification packages transform stale CO2 into fresh oxygen.
The effect on your brain is clear: When you breathe in more oxygen, your brain is better supplied, which greatly improves your cognitive performance. After all, not everyone has the opportunity to take a walk in the fresh air during work. By having plants in the office, you can at least achieve a similarly invigorating effect.
Even NASA has tested the positive effect of plants on performance. And what's good for astronauts can give you a performance boost, too. The NASA Clean Air Study found that houseplants even filter chemicals from the air that impair your health and memory [1]. These include, above all, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and benzene. Furniture, carpets, computers, printers—the list of items in offices that emit pollutants is long. Therefore, NASA recommends that you have at least one plant for every nine square meters of space for a better, less pollutant-laden indoor climate. The more plants you have, the better the indoor air—because in this case, more is more!
Office plants with a feel-good factor
You won't be able to deny that you simply feel more comfortable in nature, surrounded by trees, bushes, grasses, and flowers, than in the city between houses or in sparsely furnished rooms. A British study of 10,000 test subjects was able to prove that people who live surrounded by green plants are happier and more mentally stable than those who live between gray house walls [2]. Plants simply bring life into the room; this, in addition to the measurable benefits, is a fact that everyone can observe for themselves. Place a palm tree next to your desk, office chair, and laptop – and your workspace will become more comfortable.
There's even scientific evidence that plants increase well-being, productivity, and creativity: A research team at Cardiff University tested the effect of green plants in the office on employee productivity [3]. For this purpose, the offices of one company were planted with plants for several months, while the offices of another company remained bare. During the test phase, employees with office plants actually performed 15 percent better and felt much more comfortable in their workplace than before. After the plants were removed, productivity immediately dropped.
In addition, the higher humidity due to CO2 exchange ensures better moistening of the mucous membranes. Office plants are therefore excellent for preventing colds. A health-promoting effect is also demonstrated by an American study that showed that the mere presence of a plant in a room accelerates the healing process after surgery [4].
Using office plants to combat stress and fatigue
Not to be forgotten is the calming effect that green plants have on your mood. They reduce aggression and help you keep a cool head in stressful situations. This is due, among other things, to the oxygen, which gives you a clear mind, but also to the relaxation-promoting color green. Calming doesn't mean that you'll fall asleep at work. In fact, the opposite is true: The plants help you overcome your low performance and keep your mind alert and active.
Do you work in an open-plan office? Office plants with large leaves can even act as noise barriers. They dampen the noise of your colleagues, allowing you to concentrate better on your tasks.
Take-Home Message #1 : Office plants increase your productivity at work. They purify the air, improve the indoor climate and humidity. They also enhance well-being, reduce stress and aggression, and have a health-promoting effect. The more plants in the office, the more oxygen and the better your performance.
Here are the top 10 most effective office plants
These foliage plants are particularly effective at improving indoor air quality and are therefore highly recommended as office plants. Allergy sufferers should opt for foliage plants without flowers as a precaution.
Single sheet
The peace lily has many names, including peace lily, flag lily, or botanically, Saptiphyllum. But no matter what you call it, it has a profound effect on the air in your office. According to feng shui, it also eliminates negative vibrations and supports stress reduction . However, the peace lily shouldn't be placed in direct sunlight; it thrives much better in partial shade.
Dragon tree
Of the over 150 species of dragon trees, three in particular are ideal for your office due to their air-purifying properties: Dracaena Janet Craig, Dracaena massangeana, and Dracaena marginata. Formaldehyde, in particular, stands no chance against them; they can convert 70 percent of the pollutant within 24 hours. The variously colored leaves add beautiful accents to the office, ranging from dark green to light green, reddish, or white. The dragon tree is very easy to care for and can be used as a small potted plant or as a larger plant. Partial shade is ideal.
Indoor linden tree
The indoor lime tree is a particularly good plant for dry office air. It emits a pleasant level of humidity, which, especially in winter, prevents mucous membranes from drying out due to the heating. Its special leaf structure continuously releases water, which spreads through the air. It also acts as an ideal dust trap. The large leaves thrive even better in bright locations. The larger the leaves of the indoor lime tree, the more effective they are at absorbing noise. Because it releases a lot of water, it should be watered regularly.
Spider plant
The spider plant has a strange nickname: "civil servant palm." It's a top favorite as an office plant because it requires little care and yet continues to grow happily. It also promotes fresh air and is considered one of the best plants for reducing pollutants. A spider plant is therefore a perfect introduction to office greenery, as you can hardly go wrong with it. A bright spot will do it well, but direct sunlight will dry out its leaves.
Boston fern
Ferns are a part of the primeval forest, the jungle, and the native woodland – and have been since time immemorial. Ferns are very resilient and thrive even with negligent care. The rough surface of their leaves functions excellently as dust traps, cleaning the air of flying particles. Air circulation is also very effective. Due to their delicate leaf shape, ferns release a lot of water – a major benefit for humidity in dry rooms. Ferns prefer bright and pleasantly warm conditions, but not direct sunlight.
ivy
Ivy leaves have particularly good air-purifying qualities. They are excellent at converting pollutants into oxygen. Furthermore, these green vines are undemanding and only require occasional watering. In return, they reward you and your colleagues with pleasantly balanced humidity.
Snake plant
The tall snake plant is very popular as an office plant because it's easy to care for and requires little water. If your workday is so stressful that you don't think about watering your plants, no problem. The snake plant will forgive you – even for a few weeks. According to feng shui, it has a calming effect and helps you release aggression.
Ficus benjamini
There are many different types of ficus, but the most well-known is probably the Ficus benjamini, also known as the weeping fig. It is the true tree among office plants, as its appearance alone, with its trunk and leaves, is reminiscent of its larger counterparts. However, it requires a lot of care and doesn't thrive in every location. People with a latex allergy should also stay away from it, as it secretes a sap containing latex.
Pothos
The ivy plant is also one of the more undemanding plants, making it a great office plant. Its large leaves reliably enrich the air with oxygen. You can place the climbing plant on a shelf, for example, if your desk is short on space. Its tendrils also make excellent hanging plants. If you want to put a little more time and effort into plant care, you can regularly mist the ivy plant with water, as it prefers a humid environment.
Philodendron
Philodendrons are commonly found as meter-tall plants, but they are also available in smaller versions. They grow quickly and can survive well even in darker corners. Their large leaves dampen office noise and make excellent room dividers for colleagues' desks.
As you can see, there's no excuse not to make your office more work-friendly. There's a suitable plant for every room, whose positive properties boost your mental performance and ensure you can be productive throughout the day. A combination of different plants is best, ensuring you'll always have pollutant-free, oxygen-rich office air for thinking.
Take-Home Message #2: There are many plants that are particularly effective at filtering pollutants from the air, such as the dragon tree, spider plant, or peace lily. What's more, most of them are easy to care for, making them an ideal biohack for your office.
Studies:
