Plants Are Part of Your Work Setup, Not Decoration
I work with a view of the garden and several plants within sight of my desk. There is an Aquatica I bought last spring. A Monstera that has grown faster than I expected. A Zamiifolia that seems to cope with everything. A Scindapsus Micans trailing across the shelf. A few smaller varieties sit close by, including a Green Fantasy, a Petra, and a little Orbifolia. This is not a design statement. It is part of how I work. Plants help me in the same way good lighting or a comfortable chair helps me. They support focus, ease, and the quality of my thinking. There is solid research behind this.
The Calathea Zebrina available from plnts.com
Why Our Attention Needs Micro-Breaks
When you concentrate for long periods, you use what psychologists call directed attention. It drains quickly. You feel it in the mid-afternoon when everything takes more effort. You read the same line twice. Simple steps feel slow. You sit at your desk but your mind has gone elsewhere. Looking at something natural helps your attention recover. A plant offers a small moment of rest without you realising it.
How Plants Support Focus
Rachel and Stephen Kaplan showed that natural elements engage our attention in a gentle way. They called it soft fascination. Moving leaves. Natural light. A view of green. These small cues let the brain reset. You do not need a forest. One plant on your desk can help. A garden view helps. Even a photo helps, though living plants work better. Several studies confirm that small amounts of visible greenery improve concentration, reduce mental fatigue, and support clear thinking.
What the Workplace Research Shows
A long-term study at the University of Exeter found that adding plants to sparse offices increased productivity by about 15 percent. People felt more settled in their environment and made fewer errors. The type of work did not matter. The presence of visible greenery did. Researchers found a useful rule of thumb. Around 12 percent of your visible space should include plants. Enough to be noticed. Not so much that it feels crowded.
Why Plants Help in Practical Terms
Plants reduce stress markers like cortisol. They raise humidity slightly, which helps with dry indoor air. They reduce background noise. They create a space that feels calmer and easier to work in. The biggest effect is psychological. A small amount of nature in a workspace supports your capacity to focus for longer.
How This Links to the Way I Design Websites
When I build a Squarespace site for a consultant or a small business, I pay attention to clarity and ease. I remove noise. I create space. I keep the page readable so the visitor can take things in without strain.
The same principle applies to the way we design our physical work environment. A plant beside your monitor serves the same role as white space on a webpage. Both give your mind a rest. Good work needs environments that support the brain rather than drain it.
What You Can Try in Your Own Workspace
These small changes have helped me:
Face natural light when possible. A window view gives your attention regular resets.
Choose living plants. They work better than artificial ones because small changes in movement or light catch the eye gently.
Start with one or two plants. Build from there as your space allows.
Pick easy varieties such as Pothos, Monstera, snake plants, or ZZ plants. They handle irregular care well.
Keep plants in your line of sight while you work.
A Simple Way to Improve Your Day
We often buy apps and tools to stay productive. Yet the basics matter as much. Light. Space. Air. A small piece of nature in front of us. A plant will not write your emails. It will make the effort of writing them feel less draining. Over time, that small difference supports better decisions and clearer communication.
I run my business from my home in France. I sit at my desk with a view of the garden and a few plants that I water imperfectly. They still help. They create an environment where I can think more clearly and work with steadier focus. You do not need a big change. You only need something green in your line of sight. It is a simple way to support the work you ask your brain to do each day.
If you already work with plants in your workspace, I would love to hear what you have found helpful. Share your experience in the comments.
Further reading
If you want to explore the research behind attention, nature, and workspace design, these sources are useful:
Attention Restoration Theory systematic review - Ohly et al. (2016)
Workplace greenery increases productivity by 15% - Nieuwenhuis et al. (2014)
Optimal greenery dose for workplace wellbeing - Lei et al. (2021)
Biophilic design reduces stress during cognitive tasks - Recent study (2025)
Restorative effects of biophilic design in workplaces - Systematic review (2024)
