The utilization of plants within business is becoming ever-more noticable. From greenery taking over foyer spaces to massive development projects like Amazon’s Seattle Spheres, plants are a rising star of premises design.
But is this just a design trend, or is there more to it?
There is an undeniable visual appeal to plants that makes them easy to categorize as just another interior design movement — similar to the industrial-style trends or the rise of grey motifs. Look into the benefits of plants in business design a little further, though, and you start to see why they offer more than just an updated aesthetic.
We’re living in the age of personal wellbeing; a time where people are starting to understand the influence that both a healthy mind and body can have on performance. Modern businesses around the world are taking steps to enhance the welfare of their workers.
And plants are a part of that.
But how, and why? And is this something exclusive to big companies or can your home business benefit as well?
The reality is that plants can have profound effects on anyone, no matter where they work. Introduce plants to your home business, and you could see your own company flourish.
Plants in Your Home Business Reduce Stress
Business owners — on average — work longer hours and are exposed to more stress-inducing situations than a typical contracted employee. There are obviously benefits to the home business lifestyle that can mitigate some of these stress factors, or at least, provide a balance to them; flexibility, no commute, better working conditions, etc.
However, stress is never a good thing, no matter how you frame it. Any chance you have to reduce the impact of stress should be taken.
Plants can be a force for changing your mindset and reducing stress. Why? It’s not exactly clear. The prevailing theory is that plants provide a sense of freedom that resonates with feelings of relaxation; the same sense that we experience when we’re out in nature.
Whatever the cause, the results are much easier to understand. Those who live and work around plants are less anxious and have been observed to have lower resting heart rates. The introduction of plants to your home business can have a real and noticeable impact on the amount of stress you feel day-to-day.
Plants Can Have a Subconscious Impact on Your Motivation Levels
Struggling to get motivated? You’re not alone. 33% of small business owners struggle with motivation. Motivation is a tough nut to crack, but plants can help.
Motivation and happiness are intrinsically linked. Happiness — positivity in particular — form strong relationships with motivation; those that are happier and more positive are more motivated. It’s simple, but it’s important, because if you’re not motivated, your home business will suffer.
But then the question becomes, how do you become happier if you’re struggling with motivation? This way of thinking creates a paradox, because you need to be happy to be motivated, but if you’re not motivated, you’re unlikely to be happy.
What we need to do is bootstrap motivation. We need to find creative ways to make you happier in your home office to get you more motivated. Remember when we said plants can help?
Plants make people happier. There is a real and measurable positive reaction that takes place when we’re around plants that contributes to a myriad of physiological and psychological factors, from lower blood pressure to raised feelings of satisfaction at work. We love to be around plants, which makes us happier, which gives us the mental tools to stay motivated.
Plants Have a General Benefit to Your Health
Sick days for home business owners can be problematic. There is nobody paying you sick leave. There is no support for your time off. In an ideal world, you’d never take sick leave but sometimes it’s unavoidable.
Plants in the office can do a lot of amazing things, and keeping you fit and well appears to be one of them.
Studies have shown that plants in the office can reduce illness rates by up to 25%. While you’d be forgiven for thinking this is more a motivational factor — simply making work a more desirable place to be — there is more to it than that.
Plants in your home office can balance humidity, which reduces the chance of mold spores and bacteria forming in hidden spaces and leading to poor air quality which can make you sick. There is also some evidence to suggest that plants can help reduce the amount of pollutants and allergens in the air, again helping to support better health.
The Connecting Factor That Empowers Your Business
- Reduced stress
- Higher levels of motivation
- Fewer sick days
What do all these have in common?
Each factor here benefits productivity. While productivity sounds like a corporate buzzword like ‘paradigm shift’ or ‘holistic approach,’ it does have very real implications for home business success.
Productivity simply means to be productive. To get stuff done. The more you’re getting done the more money you can make — or at least, the more you can utilize your time to make more money within a smaller window of time.
Productive businesses are more profitable. It’s not an idea, it’s a fact. It’s why big brands invest millions in making their businesses more productive. It’s why Amazon created the Spheres in Seattle, to make its employees more productive.
The inclusion of plants into your home business design — putting plants on your desk, on the window ledge, by your door, etc — provides you with the tools to be more productive. Which is to say, the inclusion of plants into your home business provides you with the tools to make more money.
