Inspiration for this post comes from a story about a Manager who just wanted to improve workplace engagement. The big proposal to improve happiness and engagement - plants, and lots of them!

The leadership group chuckled collectively...

...and then waited for the 'actual' proposal.

On the back of this, and once again with the support of our friends at HBR (see linked article) I set out to find some research that backs up this position. It did not take long.

It turns out that Greenery is proven to significantly boost employee well-being, reduce stress, increase creativity and enhance innovative potential. The article demonstrates how exposure to natural environments has a direct physiological affect on stress indicators (cortisol, heart rate, blood pressure) and can subsequently increase productivity by up to 15%! It even draws a connection between natural environments and altruism, citing research that found people were more likely to notice when others needed help (and provide that help) following exposure to nature.

Long story short - boost creativity, productivity, well-being, happiness, social connections and workplace altruism... just add water!