Office garden is a good way to promote wellness while supporting environment, but encouraging employees to do gardening can do much more.
More than allowing more fresh air to get into the office, having space for gardening around the office can actually help your business grow. Gardening can be another healthy perk an organisation can offer to their employees. It can be a perk that is healthier than snacks, cheaper than your current perks’ cost, and more comfortable to look at.
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Bruce Butterfield in The New York Times said that companies need to spend less on raises or health benefits if they provide something that can improve the quality of employee’s life in a cheaper and fun way – which is gardening. And when it comes to harvest time, you can hand them a bag full of vegetables and fruits. Sure is, employees will be more than delighted to receive them.
“A vegetable garden, in the beginning, looks so promising and then, after all, little by little, it grows nothing but vegetables, nothing, nothing but vegetables.” – Gertrude Stein
Besides, growing vegetables or fruits instead of “ordinary” plants can promote sustainability. As an example, growing edible plants in the office can purify the air by removing pollutants and in turn, it can increase productivity, creativity, and attentiveness in the whole organisation members. Your staff could also take a break from the mounting workload by allowing themselves to take care of the office garden.
Having an opportunity to really turn your hand to something that belongs to nature will fulfil an individual’s heart with satisfaction. The American Institute of Stress (AIS) stated that mindfulness is a stress reliever. The idea behind mindfulness in simplicity. For example, the scene of your office garden and the fresh air breathed through its wet soil odour are what brings happiness to life. Additionally, soil that gets under your fingernails when gardening can blockade the bacteria from invading your body, added AIS, it is actually a good thing to get your hands dirty.
Furthermore, gardening can also help reduce the risk of mental health problems due to hefty workloads. It is not only about mindfulness it brings but also the physical activity your employees spend when planting vegetables. Gardening can reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety, as cited in a research. As a result, gardening can improve confidence, concentration, and communication with others. Your employees might also learn a useful lesson and new practical skills/teamwork through gardening.
According to experts of MSU Extension, the physical activities involved in gardening is kind of exercises that help individuals stay healthy. For instance, 2.5 hours each week can reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and many health problems. Providing a space to plant such foods is also resulting in decreased complaints of health issues. Therefore, encouraging workers to optimise balconies or outdoor space is the true ingredients of liveliness.
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