GreenFilledWorkplace-1

Image by Linsdsay Fondacaro

Picture a modern office – very bright lights, and lots of white walls. This is where I found myself two months after graduating college when I got a position as a job recruiter. I started mid-summer, and rapidly yearned for the outside I was being sheltered from. I knew others in my position had to feel the same, so I began to look further into this. Through this, I found proof for what I already thought to be true. Nature scientifically soothes us on a subconscious level. There is actually even a new illness called Nature-Deficit Disorder, which is the lack of being outside due to our modern way of life with more TV watching, office jobs, etc. This is thought to put people at higher risk of things like obesity, cancer, heart disease, depression and anxiety. When you are around nature, your stress hormones and heart rate immediately lower.

Clearly, this wasn’t for me and long story short; I lasted there for two days. I get it, “you didn’t give it a chance.” All I know is, I couldn’t wait for my mid-day 20 minutes where I was allowed to see the sun. I felt bad for the people in the office who never got to leave. They all seemed to accept this in an unwilling way. They were all pale and sluggish. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Manhattan and I know it’s no forest, but I felt there was a way to lessen this barrier between in and outside, and give these people a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively).

Being that we can’t all just veg out in central park all day and still support ourselves, I felt there were other ways to cure the problem. After a year of learning at an NYC florist, I decided to start my own floral and plant company, Florabrook. One of Florabrook’s main goals is bringing flowers and plants into the workplace. We deliver florals on a weekly basis to many offices, restaurants, cafés, and even private homes around New York City. We also dress our accounts with plants, and provide maintenance on these as well. The idea of this is to alleviate people’s craving for nature on their long days inside and provide them with a healthy work environment. So, let’s talk about the benefits!

  • Makes air healthier by changing carbon dioxide into oxygen
  • Takes harmful chemicals out of air (benzene and formaldehyde) as well as bacteria/mold spores
  • Emits water vapor
  • Reduces indoor dust
  • Reduces stress
  • Improves concentration
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Improves reaction time
  • Improves attendance
  • Raises productivity
  • Lowers anxiety levels
  • Raises job satisfaction
  • Increases memory retention
  • Accelerates healing
  • Increases compassion
  • Increases vitality

Seeing my client’s reaction when I arrive weekly with new flowers, tells me further that this is something that improves their everyday life at work. I asked some of my clients about what having the plants in their office does for them and here is what they said: 

I can tell you flowers make a difference to any experience. Simple table flowers have a huge impact on a guests experience, they can brighten a mood, take someone back to a memory” – Jason, Cafe Talulah

Plants make people happier.  When I moved to NY our office had no plants and it felt lifeless.  I had plants and trees put on all of our floors in the common areas and the response has been overwhelming.  I’m telling you, plants make people happier!” -Jacob, Discovery Channel

Having fresh flowers every Monday makes the start of every week a little bit better and brings an element of freshness and calmness to an otherwise stressful environment. The best part of the various arrangements is how it reminds me of the seasons (I.e., like that spring is coming) and brings a bit of nature/the countryside into the city and into the office” -Pierre, Altman Villandrie

They give life to the shop. Without them, the space feels so cold.” -Fab Owner of Yours Truly Coffee

FROM THE EDITOR
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