The research is pretty strong that adding greenery to your office, whether that’s in your home or out, has all kinds of psychological and physical health benefits. We’re partnering with office furniture retailer Jason L to highlight the many reasons why it’s time for you to install office gardens where you work.

Why Plant Office Gardens?

Get More Work Done
One of the top benefits of being surrounded by greenery is that it increases productivity. Why? Plants are sort of like therapy dogs – you can touch and smell them, and they can have a calming effect on your workspace. The folks at Jason L report that 15% more ideas are generated by people who worked in an office with a garden or surrounded by plants. When you feel better, you work better. It’s as simple as that.

Feel Better
Speaking of feeling better, just think about how uplifting it is to walk into a room that includes some beautiful plants. I immediately feel my blood pressure drop a couple of notches when I see a variety of plants together.

Minimize Discomfort
Research shows that hospital patients tolerate pain better if there is a plant in their room or on their ward. Looking at plants, watering them, taking trimmings can all be very peaceful and meditative.

Breathe Cleaner Air
Indoor plants can remove up to 87% of air toxins in 24 hours. They also absorb carbon dioxide and emit fresh oxygen, says NASA.

Be Creative
From adding a few hanging plants to your space to creating garden walls, the sky is almost literally the limit when it comes to how use use plants to express yourself creatively. You can have desk top plants, floor plants, baskets full of plants, flower boxes, herbs, flowers, fruit trees, terrariums, and more.

Put It To Use
Numerous companies and factories plant garden walls or rooftop gardens as a way to increase insulation and reduce heating and cooling costs, as well as increase employee well-being. These tips will help you figure out if a rooftop garden makes sense where you work.

How to Install Office Gardens

Look at Light
All plants need light, but some need a lot more than others.

A variety of specimens, like golden pathos and peace lilies, that can tolerate very low light levels and even some artificial light.

Others, like spider plants, do much better with more light.

Before you get a plant, take stock of how much light it needs, as well as how much it will get in your space. If those two factors measure up, you’re good to go.

Know the Air Temp
Like light, some plants do better in a cooler space and others want temps much warmer.

If your plant is going to go near a drafty window, skip the orchids and other “hot house” plants.

If the room is hot, think about tropical or desert plants, depending on the humidity.

Consider Humidity
Tropical plants will need to be misted often and watered frequently. Desert plants, just the opposite. In addition to knowing the light exposure and temperature of your space, consider how humid it is and how often plants require watering.

What Do You Like to Look At?
Whatever plants you choose, make sure you enjoy looking at them. If you don’t, you’ll lose interesting in keeping them alive. And no one likes a dead plant!

Here’s the bottom line. People benefit when they work around office plants (or plants in warehouses, factories, and retail outlets). Whether you’re adding greenery to your home office or something larger, you won’t regret bring some foliage into your space.

Thanks to Jason L for these images. You can see their complete infographic on office gardens right here. 

NOTE: Sponsors and partners enable us to bring you the expert content you need to live the greener life you want. All editorial opinions remain our own. 

The post Plant Office Gardens to Get More Work Done, Breathe Better appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Headache? Achy joints? Runny nose? Itchy eyes? You’re probably thinking you’ve got a cold. It might just be that your indoor air quality stinks – literally.

Indoor air quality can be a LOT more polluted than the air outside. That’s bad news for those of us who live inside – which, I think, is everyone reading this post.

⇒ In addition to making us feel like we’ve got a cold, polluted indoor air can zap our energy and turn us into cranky grumps.

⇒ If you have asthma or another respiratory illness, poor indoor air quality will make them worse.

⇒ Lousy indoor air quality can even contribute to cancers caused by exposure to the toxic chemicals that pollute the air we breathe when we’re inside.

Because indoor air quality causes so many health problems, I’ve teamed up with the smart folks at HomeLab to make it easier for you to figure out what’s actually in the air you’re breathing at home and how you can create a Healthy Home.

Indoor Air Pollution Sources

The HomeLab Healthy Home Program to Create a Non-Toxic Home

HomeLab was started by Nate Bellino.

After working in energy efficiency for over a decade, Nate realized that the air inside our homes was pervasively bad.

His wife battled cancer twice and his daughter has asthma. When trying to create a healthy home for his family, he found trying to remove toxins and pollutants exceedingly difficult.

He started HomeLab so that more people could easily create a healthy home on any budget.

Nate’s ingenious Healthy Home Program is designed to help you make sure that the air you’re breathing is actually worth breathing!

Step 1 – Identify – First and foremost, you need to know what’s in the air you’re breathing. Once you sign up for HomeLab, you’ll get a monitor that will give you vital readings that show you what invisible toxins and pollutants are lurking in your home’s air. (NOTE: You can sign up for a Healthy Home Program for less than $10/month.)

Step 2 – Monitor – Once you know what’s in your air, you can use the monitor together with the HomeLab smart phone app to view toxin levels so you’ll know at any given time where problems exist and whether you need to act.

Step 3 – Take Action – HomeLab’s team of “Home Doctors” – experts with deep knowledge and experience working on indoor air quality – will prescribe the most effective ways for you specifically to create a healthy home that is right for you. They always start with no-cost activities that are surprisingly simple, some of which can remove up to 40% of the toxins and pollutants found in your home’s indoor air.

Step 4 – Continue to Monitor – “Our monitoring service places an effective shield against incoming pollution,” reports Nate. “We remotely observe your air quality monitor and notify you of critical spikes or alarming trends, proactively providing solutions and partnering with you until we kick pollution to the curb.”

Doesn’t that sound like a good idea?!

“Air quality is ever fluctuating in a home,” says Nate. “Different seasons, outdoor pollution events, different rooms all contribute to spikes. We start people off with simple activities and continue guiding them in creating a non-toxic home.”

Once you’ve got a handle on your home, you can continue to use the app as a sort of air quality watchdog.

Free eBook!

If you want to learn more about indoor air and how yours might be polluted, at least get a copy of HomeLab’s Free Healthy Home eBook.

Here’s what’s in it:

√ A list of the most common forms of toxins and pollutants
√ A description of how different products we have at home add to indoor air pollution
√ Common products and services to avoid
√ A step-by-step process for creating a healthy, non-toxic home
√ Recommendations for apartments and rentals

Here’s the link to get your free copy.

25% Discount for the Big Green Purse Community

As a special bonus for the Big Green Purse community, HomeLab is offering you an 25% discount off either the start-up or the premium package. You can check out the advantages of each one right here.

By the way, now is the perfect time to monitor your indoor air. Most of us have either closed our windows tight against the cold weather or , if you live in the south, buttoned your house up to keep air conditioned in.

Either way, the air could be stagnating a bit, which might actually make indoor air pollution worse.

Why not see what’s in your air, and take steps to fix it?

You’ll feel better and stay healthier, right away and in the long term, too.

DISCLOSURE: We’re partnering with Home Lab because we know how important it is to breathe clean indoor air. We will earn a small commission if you sign up for the Healthy Home Program, but we’d recommend Home Lab regardless because we want you to be well. Thanks!

The post You Don’t Have a Cold. Your Indoor Air Quality Stinks. appeared first on Big Green Purse.