These NASA-Approved Plants Can Make Your Office Feel Happier and Healthier
Greenery is a proven mood-booster, and plants can help add a touch of hygge to your home and office, freshening up a space that might feel stale otherwise. Even more, we recently learned certain plants can help purify the air around you — which science shows can contribute toward achieving a healthier headspace and improving your energy levels to get even more great stuff done. Not convinced? Read on for the scientific scoop.
We had heart eyes after discovering Pro Plants’ genius (and totally new to us) Breathe Happier Collection, which features plants that have all been chosen from the NASA Clean Air Study: the fascinating project that was conducted with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) over a two-year period during the late 1980s. Researchers worked to determine and understand how potted houseplants might be able to help purify the air in closed environments.
During the study, researchers sampled the air inside a sealed experimental chamber where the houseplant was kept and measured the concentrations of certain pollutants in the air at different points in time. Interestingly, they found that specific potted houseplants absorb and remove specific pollutants like benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from indoor air, breaking them down with the help of microorganisms in the soil (and their own biological processes). In other words, these plants leave you with healthier and happier air. So awesome, right?
For best results, NASA researchers suggest stocking your office or workspace with at least one approved plant per every 100 square feet. We find this pretty easy to pull off with the easy-to-care-for choices that come in a fun range of chic planters and stylish pots that’ll easily fit on your desk, effortlessly complete a shelfie, or fill an awkward corner that needs some sprucing up. Decor goals, indeed.
Do you keep plants in your office or on your desk? Show ’em to us on Instagram by tagging us @BritandCo!
(Photos via Pro Plants)