Life can be stressful, and while some of that stress helps us buckle down and finish our work or complete our goals, much of it causes physical and emotional harm. In fact, stress can make workers less productive and more likely to call in sick, which drags down a business’s bottom line. If you want to make your employees healthier, happier, and more productive, then it’s time to confront stress in the workplace. Can adding a living wall help?
A Stressful World
According to the American Institute of Stress, we Americans are a stressed out bunch. The Institute reports that 77% of Americans experience physical symptoms caused by stress, while 73% suffer from psychological symptoms. Employers will be interested to know that 48% of respondents say that stress has a negative impact on their personal and professional life. That means almost half of your employees may not be doing their best at work due to stress!
Further, the Institute finds that chronic stress is correlated with:
- Headaches
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Heartburn
- Weakened immune system
- Increased risk of heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Gastrointestinal distress
- And more!
When workers are stressed, they are less productive and are more likely to face health issues, which could mean taking more sick leave each year. Employers who can help address and alleviate worker stress could be well rewarded with happier, healthier, and more productive employees.
How a Living Wall Can Help Employers Fight Worker Stress
There are numerous ways that employers can help their workers relax a little more. Practical solutions include lightening work loads, giving workers greater autonomy in their jobs, removing toxic bosses or co-workers, and not requiring significant amounts of overtime.
However, some of these changes may be difficult to institute. One simple, effective, and proven way to decrease worker stress is to add living plants into your office and working spaces. A study in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that young adults who worked with plants “felt more comfortable, soothed, and natural” after the task when compared with subjects who performed work on a computer. Another study at a rehabilitation clinic in Norway found that patients who were exposed to lush, healthy plants in the waiting room reported feeling healthier and happier than their counterparts who didn’t wait in the plant-infused waiting room. Additionally you check out how these 20 Plants can help improve indoor air quality.
These studies seem to indicate that access to plant life makes us feel relaxed and eases our stress. For this reason, it might be worth installing a living wall in your office.
Will a living wall help eliminate all your worker stress? Probably not. However, a more natural and relaxing work environment can be one part in a larger overall plan to help your workers thrive. Healthy workers can make a healthier business!
If your business is located in San Diego, Orange County, or Los Angeles, contact us today to learn more about our living moss wall installations and our other living wall options.
