Working in my home office surrounded by Dendrobiums, gifted by Pflanzenfreude.deAs someone who works from home, one place that has become very integral to my everyday life is my home office. This is a space where I find it particularly important to be mindful of the kind of environment I have built, as the bulk of my days are spent in here.
I wanted to create a space that I felt not only represented me and my interior tastes, but was able to inspire my creativity and spur me on to work more intently and enthusiastically. It was important for me that this environment was simultaneously calming, inviting, stimulating, and positive. In addition to specific choices made with the interior decorating and color palette of this room, the addition of houseplants was also a deliberate move on my point.
I for one am a strong believer in the magic that houseplants and potted plants hold. I think it has to do a lot with the fact that there is just something instantly both calming and invigorating about nature (no matter how paradoxical this sounds) in general. When we then bring small pieces of nature inside, it elevates our mood and calms our mind; especially when our homes are full of congestion and noise of all types – physical, emotional, electronic, etc.
Because of both the amount of people traffic, conversations, and work – both on and off electronic devices – that is happening in home office spaces – not to mention time that is being spent in them! – surrounding yourself with beneficial shrubbery is downright essential for every home office.
Read on to find out 5 reasons why you should be getting your green thumb on in your office space right now.
Houseplants help you breathe easier
It doesn’t take a nuclear physicist to tell you that plants product oxygen via photosynthesis. And it also doesn’t take one to tell you why this is beneficial to your work space. There are also certain indoor plants like Japanese royal ferns, english ivy, peace lilies, and aloe vera which help purify the air by eliminating VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), or gases released from certain liquids or solids like paints or pesticides. Less CO2, dust, bacteria, and mold, and more easy breathing and living for you!
Houseplants reduce stress
Like I said above, I tend believe that nature in general has this ability. But since we can’t have our office overlooking the beach or plant our desk on the beach and listen to the tide pull in and out, the next best thing is to bring nature inside. And since it’s a lot easier to buy potted plans than build a make-shift ocean in your home office, I’m gonna go with the potted plants.
Houseplants improve concentration and productivity
That’s right: plants help you hustle harder. Studies have proven that plant life in the office increases productivity by 15 percent. While psychologist Dr. Chris Knight explains that anything that gets a person psychologically engaged (like photographs or changes in light or smell) will help them work better, the stats are in and plants are one way to do it.
Houseplants make you healthier
For those of you working in arctic temperatures like I am in a city like Berlin, let me tell you this: apparently plants can reduce dry skin by helping to humidify the air through a process called “transpiration.” In addition to doing wonders for the skin, plants have been known to actually aid in the recovery of surgery patients.
Houseplants are aesthetically pleasing
I don’t have any cold hard science facts for you for this bullet point and while I like to remain as factual as possible and am diabolically opposed to the rise in fake news, this is is a blog and not a university mid term paper so I would just like to state my opinion here without footnoting everything: surrounding yourself in an environment that is aesthetically pleasing to you will not only elevate your mood but make you excited to be in said environment. And houseplants are not only good for your health, they are good lookin’ too. So go wild and turn that home office into a jungle.
For those of you who do not already surround yourself with plant life, I hope these 6 reasons have either inspired you to add plant life to your home office (or work space). If you are looking for more information about the magic of plants (both inside and outside the home), and how they can enhance your life in a myriad of ways, then check out Pflanzenfreude.de. They have tons of tips, tricks, and inspiration for living with plant life.
I have personally decided to decorate my flat with Dendrobiums, a unique genus of orchid that flowers like a tree and can be found in colors ranging from white through yellow/orange as well as red and purple. Because honestly, until I can move into a greenhouse and just live amongst all the plants all the time, the next best thing is settling in for a big day of working from home feeling as if I get to do so from inside a mini jungle.
Pflanzenfreude.de was kind enough to gift me these incredible flowers to help liven up my work space and create a healthier and more productive environment. Luckily, my friend and work mate Vicky is tending to them as I tend to have a black thumb, and we are going to do our best to keep these beauties as beautiful as ever. I am also hoping to re-introduce some ferns and palms into this workspace after accidentally killing off all of them, as these are also lovely house plants to fill a space with – which I will be sure to share with you guys once the decorating is complete!
Caution:
*Plants like orchids, succulents, and epiphytic bromeliads actually take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen at nighttime. Because of this, they are suggested to be kept in the bedroom to keep oxygen flowing at night. Also, always be sure to know which plants are safe to have with animals. Although orchids are not known to be fatal to cats, when I work, my furry friends are normally not allowed in my office or are monitored very closely and when I am not working, the office door remains locked.
LFB always discloses all partnerships. Thank you so much to Pflanzenfreude.de for gifting me these beautiful Orchids and sponsoring this post! It’s partnerships like this that allow LFB to bring incredible adventures and experiences to the LFB community.
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Special thanks to my November sponsor, Dee Shoots!
