Can Office Plants Help Improve Workflow?
When seen from space ours is a green and blue world. The skies are blue and the great continents are mostly green and these two colours together mean that the planet is alive. People feel better when they are around living things whether those things are animals or plants, it is just our nature to want to see and feel life. In our working environments living plants can help workers connect with the greater life of the planet, ant that connection can make the people feel more healthy. People who are healthier can do more productive work, and so it stands to reason that the office plants can help improve the workflow.
There are many good and obvious reasons why indoor plants are a benefit to an office environment. The first is that they are aesthetically pleasing in the décor of the workspace. Amidst all the square corners and grey or beige walls, a little free form green adds a touch of soothing nature to the scene. The second thing office plants can do is to act as a filter for the exhaled gases people produce by being alive. The plants grab the carbon dioxide and return oxygen, which in turn makes the air feel more like fresh air. A third thing that indoor plants can do is give an individual a little piece of ownership of the otherwise impersonal office space. The person who tends the plants can often feel as if he has some real common ground with his company through the small dependent living thing he or she takes care of.
A begonia or philodendron is a plant that is very easy to grow either in soil or in water. The vines do not grow very fast and so are not likely to take over the space, but they grow steadily and give those people around them an encouraging sight each day. Aside from making air for their people, plants are something that is natural in a place where artificiality and falseness may be problems. Just by existing plants prove that there is a real world out there and each person is a part of it even when they are working. This feeling of connectedness is a great boost for morale, and good morale builds production.
Most folks just don’t think much about the office flora. They don’t consciously notice the little green leaves that are working so diligently in the corner helping them to breathe more easily. But even when they are not aware of the plant, still they can sense the presence of life and it makes them feel better for a while. Indoor plants contribute to their environment and make the people work more efficiently simply by being there.
Aren’t You Ready To Work At Home? by Marilyn Katz
I’m not sure what my neighbors think, though I know they cast odd looks at me. They know I’m a single mom with kids to support, and they see me leave every morning to drop my kids off at school. However, as soon as I have my children distributed at their various schools, I turn right around and come home. My car sits parked in the driveway, and I leave for a few hours a week just to run an errand or meet friends for lunch. I am not wealthy, and I did not inherit money or receive a giant alimony settlement! I am responsible for supporting myself, and my kids in a decent neighborhood by good schools.
However, I was just determined to find a job or business I could perform from home, and after lots of work, trying many different things, I can finally say that I support myself from my home business!
It wasn’t always this way. I used to scramble around the house before daylight, looking for paired socks and attempting to shove breakfast in my kids so we could get packed up for before school care. Any interruption could almost reduce me to tears because I had to get them sqared away so I could begin an hour long commute to my own desk. My employer expected my to arrive by 8:00 a.m. Of course, I seldom met that expectation.
After work, I needed to be the first one out the door so I could beat traffic and arrive at after school care before it closed. Then, after a day of work, and a long commute, I could come home and attempt to come up with a balanced and satisfying meal, get my kids started on their homework, and make sure I had laid out things we would need for the next morning.
I felt like I was struggling to accomplish three people’s jobs, and I didn’t feel like I could give any area of my life the attention it deserved.
This may not describe your life. You may be one of those superwomen who thrive on activity from pre-dawn until post-dusk. Or you may have lots of support from family, so you aren’t on your own. Maybe you won your state lottery! However, I think the situation that I had was very common. It is more common with single parents, but from my experience, one parent can find herself or himself with a huge share of the responsibility in married couples too.
Millions of people work at home now. Believe it or not, Apple Computers and Hewlett Packard were started in garages. Some individuals manage to work a deal to telecommute for their present employer, while job seekers are always looking for flexible job arrangements. Others take the route that I concentrated on, and begin their own business that can be worked out of a home office. These days, you really only need a computer, telephone, and maybe a fax machine.
Online selling sites like EBay and Amazon have made it possible for many people to begin their own business on a shoestring. Others do affiliate marketing, or perform free lance work for companies who ask for it. Some job boards concentrate on finding recognized employers who are looking for employers or freelancers to work from their own home office. I researched and tested working at home, until I finally came up with the perfect fit for me!
Visit my blog at www.womanwork.net and follow my adventures, advice, and rants. You can also subscribe to my free reports there, and get specific tips to explore a half dozen real ways you can begin working from home!
Mar is a full time online marketer with dozens of projects running at any time. Her favorite is WomanWork – Helping Women with the Work We Do! Real Work At Home – Free Report
Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/Aren-t-You-Ready-To-Work-At-Home-/124089