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Computer eye strain has become a common job-related complaint, and studies have proven that aggravating visual symptoms and eye strain occur in 50 to 90 percent of people who work on computers daily. These issues can range anywhere from physical fatigue, decreased productivity and increased numbers in work errors, to slight annoyances such as eye twitching or red eyes.
What if we told you that plants could help reduce those complaints and increase your productivity and imaginative skills? Plants not only add a more relaxing ambiance to any room, but the presence of plants is linked to performing tasks with greater accuracy, yielding a higher quality result. Here are a few ways to help decrease computer eye strain and increase productivity and creativity using plants in the office:
According to All About Vision, it is suggested to look away from your computer screen every 20 minutes and gaze at another object for at least 20 seconds. While taking that brief moment to look away from your screen, gazing at a plant can have more benefits than staring at a white wall.
Seeing Green
A study posted in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin asked 69 men and women participants to take two minutes to find as many uses for a tin can as possible. Just before the experiment started, half of the participants were shown a white rectangle and the other half a green one. After the two minutes, each idea about the tin can was rated for its creativity. It was found that participants who saw green before the test came up with more interesting and creative answers!
Planting the Seeds of Productivity
Additionally, research studies conducted by Dr. Roger S. Ulrich of Texas A&M University and Helen Russell of Surrey University in England, as well as the recent studies by Dr. Virginia Lohr of Washington State University, prove that plants significantly lower workplace stress and enhance productivity. In an office setting with 27 workstations, a computer test was given to participants to induce stress. The presence of plants were the only variables to which participants were exposed. When plants were present, not only did participants demonstrate significant increases in their post-task attentiveness, but reaction time in the presence of plants was increased by 12 percent. The results indicate that visual exposure to plants produces significant recovery from stress within five minutes.
Dr. Stephanie Lichtenfeld told MSNBC in an interview, that the reason behind the creativity hike may be that green is a signal of growth (both physical and psychological). “Green may serve as a cue that evokes the motivation to strive for improvement and task mastery, which in turn may facilitate growth,” quoted The Huffington Post.
When contemplating how to limit work-related stress – including eye strain – around your office, call the Green Team at Leafscape. We will create an aesthetically pleasing and stress-free environment for employees while providing all maintenance to your new interior plantscapes!