Being outdoors can have great health benefits. The fresh air and being in nature can have a big effect on our health and performance. A study in 2008 at the University of Michigan showed that after just an hour of interacting with nature, memory performance and attention spans improved by 20%. Another study from the University of Kansas reported a 50% boost in creativity for people who were out in nature for a few days.
With our busy lifestyles I know it is not possible to be able to head out into nature regularly. In fact, a lot of people actually spend the majority of their time inside. The paint and synthetic materials in buildings can actually off-gas noxious chemicals which can lead to asthma, allergies etc. This has been referred to as “Sick building syndrome”.
It is possible to bring some nature into your home and office though. One way of doing this is with plants. Anyone who knows me, knows that I like to research things and choosing the right plants for my office was no different. During my search I came across some interesting research from NASA. NASA did a study to find which plants would be best to purify the air in a closed environment. We know that plants are important for turning carbon dioxide into oxygen, but interestingly, some plants are able to absorb hazardous chemicals (benzene, formaldehyde and/or trichloroethylene) from the air. Continue reading to see what plants made the list.
With our busy lifestyles I know it is not possible to be able to head out into nature regularly. In fact, a lot of people actually spend the majority of their time inside. The paint and synthetic materials in buildings can actually off-gas noxious chemicals which can lead to asthma, allergies etc. This has been referred to as “Sick building syndrome”.
It is possible to bring some nature into your home and office though. One way of doing this is with plants. Anyone who knows me, knows that I like to research things and choosing the right plants for my office was no different. During my search I came across some interesting research from NASA. NASA did a study to find which plants would be best to purify the air in a closed environment. We know that plants are important for turning carbon dioxide into oxygen, but interestingly, some plants are able to absorb hazardous chemicals (benzene, formaldehyde and/or trichloroethylene) from the air. Continue reading to see what plants made the list.
RSS Feed
