When the pandemic started last year, many companies were forced to quickly embrace a work-from-home culture that allowed employees to do their jobs remotely—and safely. Now, as the world opens back up, many are still on the fence about returning full-time to the office. With Covid-19 still not entirely out of the picture and employees who actually prefer the WFH grind, the question is no longer “when” but “if” everyone will be returning to business as usual.
No matter, if you find yourself working from home for the foreseeable future, it might be time to take stock of your home office situation: Is it comfortable? Organized? Enjoyable? If you answered “no” to all of the above, you might not be set up for success as your environment can impact stress levels, productivity, and more.
When companies had to pivot, many workers did, too—which means “home offices” had to be thrown together just as quickly. For some, that meant setting up shop in an office/gym/storage room that typically didn’t get much use. For others, that meant a permanent setup at the dining table or a small corner in the bedroom. If your work-from-home situation is a little more permanent, now’s the time to reset and redefine what that space means to you.
And one way to do that? Try adding a lush, living wall to your workspace.
One simple, effective, and proven way to decrease work stress is to add living plants in and around your office space. 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. In other words, plant life makes us feel relaxed and eases our stress—two things you definitely want from your home office setting.
Another benefit of adding living walls to your WFH setup is the improvement of air quality. Indoor air pollution accounts for a 34% increase in strokes and a 26% increase in heart disease. Living walls can help filter out some of those harmful pollutants, from carbon dioxide to toxic VOCs. With living walls, you can literally breathe a little easier knowing that your workspace is full of pure, fresh oxygen.
If your space doesn’t allow for a large-scale living wall, remember that our designs can be customized to fit your needs and specifications. We also offer moss artwork that can bring a touch of the outdoors inside—without any of the upkeep that live plants require.
Questions or concerns about installing a living wall in your home office? Let’s chat!
