How to have a great day at work: Boost your ‘green’ brain

In her regular column, business founder and wellness expert Nicola Elliott looks at one thing we can all do that will make our nine to five feel happier and healthier

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While house plants have been having a moment for a while, the case is growing for getting in more office greenery too. Nasa has been running extensive studies on its air purifying capabilities, hoping to capitalise on these benefits for future space stations. 

House plants increase oxygen levels in the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen during photosynthesis. Studies also show that they are also efficient at absorbing toxic substances such as formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene, found in man-made materials that are known as “off-gas” pollutants.

The brilliant environmental activist Kamal Meattle had the vision to reshape commercial buildings into cleaner and healthier spaces, so he took his own 50,000 square foot office space in New Delhi and set about proving that basic common indoor houseplants can make offices cleaner and greener.