How do you feel when you’ve been at the beach all day, or out walking in the countryside? Do you feel refreshed, uplifted, and lighter in yourself?
The likelihood is that you do.
The reason you feel that way is because you’ve just spent ample time outside in the fresh air, within nature, and it’s natural effect is to boost positivity.
How is it possible to feel down or stressed when you’re surrounded by greenery, wildlife, and (hopefully) sunshine?
Many employers are recognising this fact and attempting to bring the uplifting effects of nature into the office environment. This can be done by choosing oak executive office furniture as one example, opting for a living wall in the reception area or the main office, choosing natural colours on the walls, incorporating plants here and there, optimising natural light, and maybe even going for a carpet that looks like grass!
There are many ways to bring the outside indoors, and this is known in the office world as biophilic design.
There is no reason why you can’t combine modern office tables with greenery, and no reason why you can’t have shining glass desks next to plants and living walls. The two work wonderfully well together, and when you add in plentiful natural light, the results are seriously uplifting.
Check out this infographic on why biophilic design is so beneficial for businesses and employees.
Source: www.flowercard.co.uk/blog/10-reasons-why-every-office-needs-plants-and-flowers-infographic
The reason that biophilic design is so popular and useful is, because plants naturally reduce anxiety and stress. You are naturally more productive when you are around greenery and fresh air, and that is because of the extra oxygen which is delivered to your brain, as well as the general feel good factor that this type of decoration brings.
There is a reason why those who are feeling low, maybe even depressed, are advised to spend time outdoors, and this is because looking at nature helps us to feel less scared, less stressed, less angry, and basically more upbeat and positive. This isn’t just an emotion and mental health-related issue either, because exposure to nature has been shown to help reduce blood pressure, lower the heart rate, and also contribute towards less tension in the muscles. When you’re sitting at a modular office desk for many hours, less muscle tension is a welcome thing!
Stress hormones also find it much harder to work their way to the fore when surrounded by the calming effects of nature.
Stress within the workplace is a huge deal and something we all need to be aware of and know how to manage. The fact that being surrounded by nature can help you achieve lower stress levels without actually doing anything is a major plus point. When you combine this with other stress management techniques, such as exercise, looking after yourself well, talking about issues, and using time management techniques, the results are very positive and quite fast-acting.
The good news is that it’s not only stress and anxiety which take a good kicking from nature (as if that wasn’t enough), but productivity may also be on the rise too. When you are around nature in general, your mood is lifted, and the fresher air which plants and greenery introduce into the space could help you focus and concentrate on the task at hand much easier. This means you are more productive, you make less mistakes due to higher mental sharpness, and the work you do at your office chairs will be more accurate and beneficial to the business.
Aside from everything else, doesn’t nature simply look great? Doesn’t an office with green elements look special? Everyone wants to work in an office which is innovative and attractive, and incorporating biophilic elements certainly ticks that box.