dragon tree and co.
23. August 2022 22:38 Robert Klatt
Dragon tree as a houseplant in the office
(Photo: © kcotS ebodAaisatsanAorüB mi eznalfpremmiZ sla muabnehcarD)
- indoor plants improve that well-being of man clear
- Raise potted plants at school and in the office concentration and performance the students or the staff and reduce sick days
- One investment in plants is therefore also off reasonable from an economic perspective
Indoor plants such as the dragon tree significantly reduce people’s psychological stress and increase their ability to concentrate and their well-being. Office plants thereby reduce sick days and increase work performance.
Wageningen (Netherlands). With mental Stress Many people seek relaxation in nature. A study by the University of Michigan recently showed that this increases the level of Hormons Cortisol and thus the perceived stress level decreases. It is therefore scientifically proven that nature has a positive effect on human well-being. In Japan, some universities have even dedicated their own institutes to the so-called Shinrin-yoku (swimming in the forest) since 2012.
“We can relax well in nature and reduce stress,” explains environmental psychologist Nicole Bauer.
In the meantime, the Science also investigated whether indoor plants in the office or at home also have a positive effect on people’s well-being. Scientists found the Wageningen University (WUR) found that not only trees in the environment, but also potted plants trigger positive health effects in humans.
Effects of office plants studied
The WUR study was carried out in several companies, each of which had similar workplaces in one room with and without Plant were present. The researchers used sensors to document physical differences between the two rooms. In addition, the employees were asked before and after the introduction of the plants about their health, their mood, their well-being and the perceived room climate. The researchers also carried out tests on the employees’ ability to concentrate and determined the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol.
Potted plants in the office increase performance
According to the results of the study, potted plants in the office have a positive effect on employees and their performance. The researchers were able to observe a total of six effects.
- humidity: The relative humidity in rooms with plants is on average 5% higher than in rooms without plants. In winter, an improvement of 17% was measured.
- Thermal comfort: Employees are less likely to perceive the temperature in an office as too hot or too cold.
- attractiveness: Employees perceived their workplace as more attractive after the introduction of plants.
- mood: The mood of the employees was more positive after the plants were set up than before. Company employees also tended to be less concerned about work in their free time.
- satisfaction with the performance: Employees are more satisfied with their own performance after introducing plants than before introducing plants into the workplace. This also applies to their expectations of the satisfaction of the employer with this service.
- Less sick leave: People who work in a room with plants are less likely to call in sick to work. This means an average of 1.6 days less sick leave per employee per year.
It is thus clear that the purchase of indoor plants for the office is not only worthwhile from a health perspective, but also from an economic perspective. According to the researchers, the costs of buying and caring for the plants are amortized within a year thanks to the better performance of the employees and fewer absences due to illness.
Ideal office plants are noisy the experts from plants.school Incidentally, the different dragon tree species, including the margined dragon tree (Dracaena marginata), the branched dragon tree (Dracaena surculosa) or the fragrant dragon tree (Dracaena fragans). As the botanists explain, the dragon tree is particularly suitable as an office plant because it is easy to care for and highly adaptable.
Similar effects at school
A study by the Universiteit Groningen, published in the specialist magazine Environment and Behavior was published, also examined whether and how plants in the classroom affect the students. The results are similar, showing that indoor plants improve concentration and performance in class.
Why do plants have a positive effect on people?
So far, science has not been able to give a clear answer as to why plants have such a positive effect on people’s ability to concentrate, stress levels and well-being.
“I like to know it, too. But we don’t yet know to what extent the colors and shapes of the plants play a role,” explains Bauer.
In the Psychology There are two theories that should answer why plants have a positive effect on human health.
- According to the Attention-Recovery Theory It is exhausting for people to focus their entire attention on a task because other information has to be hidden. The ability to concentrate therefore decreases over time and people become tired. According to the theory of the psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, relaxation in nature, but also indoor plants, can provide relaxation because they do not require any directed attention. It is therefore possible to look at an office plant like a dragon tree without having to make an effort.
- Die psychoevolutionary stress-recovery theory explains that in nature, on the other hand, by the fact that the environment triggers interest, pleasure and composure in people. Indoor plants or a flower meadow should therefore attract people’s attention and thus ensure that stress and negative emotions are hidden. Better well-being in this case would therefore be a physical and emotional response to the natural environment.
According to Bauer, caring for the plants can also trigger positive emotions in people, such as contentment and serenity.
“If my plant is doing well, it’s my merit, so to speak,” says Bauer.
Like one on the preprint server PsyArXiv A study published by scientists at the University of Koblenz-Landau shows that not only indoor plants, parks and forests, but even pictures of natural landscapes trigger the corresponding effects. It thus becomes clear that psychological processes are responsible for the positive effects on health.
Environment and Behavior, doi: 10.1177/0013916516667976
PsyArXiv, doi: 10.31234/osf.io/e32vb