Elizabeth Miri | The Monarch Ranger
AUSTIN – Trends come and go, but are some of them actually useful? One popular trend is having house plants. Surprisingly, there are a number of benefits to adding a little jungle to your living room.
Different plants can have calming effects as well as adding a pop of color to any room. Not only do they add visual elements to your room, they can even increase your productivity.
Washington State University reported on a study done by the Journal of Environmental Horticulture about the effect of plants on productivity. Some completed tasks in rooms with live plants while others completed tasks in rooms without plants.
The study found that, when individuals completed tasks on a computer, they were 12% more productive when they had plants in the room. The study also found that when subjects took tests they were 10% more attentive solely because of the presence of live plants in the room.
Unsurprisingly, while they were taking the tests, the blood pressure of both groups still rose. Interestingly, the amount that the participant's blood pressure rose was twice as high for those without plants in the room. The research shows that having plants in your office space or any other room can help your productivity, attentiveness, and even stress level.
Along with the psychological benefits, adding plants to your home can also purify the air. NASA recommends having 15-18 houseplants for a 1,800 square-foot house because they can act as natural air purifiers. NASA studied how houseplants can help remove high concentrations of indoor air pollutants such as cigarette smoke or organic solvents. If you or a loved one smokes, or you feel like the air quality of your home is lacking, you should consider adding some air-cleaning plants to the room.
According to the New York Times, it is best to keep your plants within your ‘breathing zone’ for maximum effect. This is because in order for plants to produce oxygen, they need to take in the carbon dioxide that we breathe out. Keeping all these things in mind will help your home or office to become more productive, stress free, and have better air quality.
Now that you know all the benefits to keeping houseplants in your office or home, here are a few tips for growing them. First, find yourself a few houseplants that you like and do a little research on how to properly take care of them. Some of the easiest types to take care of are snake plants, “zz plants,” and Chinese evergreen plants.
Once you have your plants, put them where they receive adequate sunlight and located where you spend most of your time. Give them a bit of water, relax, and wait for your mood to improve!
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