The Power of Plants: National Stress Awareness Day

We’re coming up to National Stress Awareness Day again (3rd November) so we thought it pertinent to consider the power of plants to de-stress us.With stress named and shamed as making the risk of death 5 times more likely and exposed as the culprit of a loss of up to 20 million days for businesses, it’s time we looked at ways to improve our lifestyles and put stress back where it belongs!“We know from various studies that plants help to reduce stress – one of the biggest causes of heart disease as well as costing businesses through absenteeism. Just one plant can have an amazingly positive effect on people reducing their stress levels by 50% (¹),” says eFIG’s (²) chairman, Thomas Palfreyman.Research into the effects of stress show that it can make death 5 times (³) more probable causing heart disease, heart failure and strokes.Whilst the Health & Safety Executive statistics record that 13.5 million days were lost as a result of stress between 2007 and 2008, a survey conducted last year by workplace consultancy Croner, revealed that 50% of workers feel more stressed than they did the previous year and have calculated that this could push the figure up to 20 million.The research found that the top three causes of stress for UK employees were work (63%), finances (62%) and the economy (49%).Croner comment that high levels of stress could lead to absence, staff turnover and poor morale in the workplace and advise, “Stress issues should not be put on the back burner as it has a direct effect on productivity and impacts on an organisation's reputation and customer satisfaction. The problems that cause stress should be tackled head on.”More to the Power of PlantsWe know that plants can help to keep us calm by reducing the physical symptoms of stress i.e. lowering pulse rates and blood pressure. Research from Australia earlier this year reported that just one plant could have a really positive effect on people’s moods and reducing depression and anxiety by 50 & 60%.Plant-induced calm employees are more satisfied with their jobs, less likely to jump ship and join another company, more focused, perform better by as much as 12% and are more motivated. If businesses used plants as part of their stress management programmes, they could have a very positive effect on the bottom line.With National Stress Awareness Day coming up, maybe it’s time to relook at your stress management policies? And if you need to get in touch with a professional, eFIG trained and accredited landscaper please see the eFIG interior landscape association website.

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