Boosting mental well-being, bringing the outside in.
If you’re looking to brighten up your home office while also enjoying a boost to your mood and productivity, adding some greenery to the mix is a great place to start. Jenny in the 300 North team has been something of a plant connoisseur for a while now, and working from home has given her the perfect opportunity to bring that passion into her new work environment.
“I always enjoyed having plants on my desk in the office to bring a bit of nature and zen feeling to my work area,” she says, “so when we locked down in March 2020, I brought my plants home with me – and then I might have got a couple more too! Once I became interested, neighbours and friends kept offering cuttings and things literally grew from there.”
Of course, the health benefits of introducing nature to the workplace are well known and especially valuable in these stressful and uncertain times.
“There’s something very calming about having them around which really helps with my fast-paced job, and it’s actually rewarding to see them grow and give them a bit of nurturing each week,” says Jenny, who has also found a slightly more practical use for her plant life.
"I work on my dining room table at home and the plants have created a physical wall between the kitchen and dining room. This compartmentation has helped me focus more as my dining room feels like its own work zone and looking at the plants is a much nicer view than my kettle and sink!”
A big part of this visual appeal comes from the variety of specimens Jenny has assembled, but that’s not the only reason behind her picks.
“In choosing my plants I’ve gone for a mix of aesthetic choices and plants that purify the air. I’ve also made sure that the ones that can be reached from ground level are non-toxic to dogs if ingested as my little pooch is more of a sheep and likes a nibble when she thinks I’m not looking!”
If horticulture isn’t your area of expertise, don’t worry – a little goes a long way, and there are plenty of options for those who simply want to add a little colour to their environment without spending too much time on care and maintenance.
“I would really recommend getting a plant for your work space, even if you’re not much of a cultivator,” says Jenny. “Money plants, sedums, echeveria and cacti are great and need very little water or specific living conditions. If you’re looking for something a bit more jazzy, then peace lily, oxalis and spider plants are also perfect entry level plants.”
300 North are the Facilities Management recruitment specialists providing permanent, temporary and interim solutions to the UK Facilities Management, Mechanical & Electrical and Construction sectors. Get in touch to find out how we can help you with your recruitment needs by visiting our website home page or calling us on 0113 336 5161.
