Jan 19, 2021
So we have said goodbye to 2020
and all of the insanity that came with it, but there is something
we haven’t said goodbye to: working from home. Many companies have
pledged to work from home well into 2021, leaving us sitting
in our sweatpants, computer monitors and weird makeshift home
offices with reluctant acceptance. People are spending more time
than EVER indoors and at their screens, and that’s why it’s never
been MORE important to have plants not only in our homes, but in
our work from home office set ups.
Since WFH isn't going anywhere,
in 2021, I'm choosing to reframe it from a frustration to an
opportunity.
An opportunity to have complete
control over our WFH environment and create our desk space oasis to
look exactly like we want it.
Today’s episode is all about the
why and how behind bringing plants into our workspaces, whether you
are still working from home or are back in your office. Cobbling
together a work from home set up was STRESSFUL in 2020, in our old
apartment I had a desk that folded up into the wall, so I
couldn’t even decorate and settle in the way I wanted. But now, as
we turn the page to 2021, let’s shake things up create some stress
free and joyful moments in our lives! For me the solution
here has been plants and something that blew me away recently is
how many people in our community are going HAM on their workspaces
with plants. I posted my planty wfh set up on
IG in December, asking if anyone else created a jungle oasis at
their desk the way I did in 2020, and SO many of you sent
pictures of your amazing planty home office set ups, and asked
for help and ideas for how to set up your own. So this episode is
for you plant friends, inspired by you and members of our
community, and I hope everyone walks away from this episode with
one idea to incorporate a little more green into their daily
workflow.
I’ve broken this episode into
two sections: the WHY where we dive into the reasons why having
plants are so important in our space and talk a little about
biophilic design and then part two the HOW. I share ideas inspired
from the WHY section, break down the ways I incorporated plants and
biophilic design into my home office and then review some photos
listeners sent in and hope their setups might inspire you as
well.
Get the free download with 9 Tips for Greening Up Your
Work From Home Office Space
In the episode we learn:
- [02:07] Why Bloom and Grow Radio is doing an
episode on #plantywfh spaces
- [04:39] Check out Maria’s Planty WFH space
tour
- [05:03] What to expect from this episode on
work from home setups and biophilic design
- [06:50] The AMAZING and unbelievable benefits
of engaging with plants and biophilic design, according to
14 Patterns of Biophilic
Design
- [07:27] What is biophilia, the idea behind it,
and the important figures behind this wonderful
hypothesis
- [09:24] The psychological role of plants in our
creativity
- [10:09] How being around nature and scenery
affects patient recovery, as studied by Dr. Ulrich in 1972 to
1981
- [11:13] A review of direct versus involuntary
attention based on studies by Stephen R. Kellert and Rachel
Kaplan
- [13:41] Biophilic Pattern #1: Visual Connection
with Nature
- [13:54] Planty WFH Tip #1: Put your desk near a
window
- [14:15] Planty WFH Tip #2: Put plants within
the eyeline of your desk
- [14:33] Planty WFH Tip #3: Have a green wall in
your office
- [14:56] Planty WFH Tip #4: If you can’t have
real plants, pictures of plants will do!
- [15:09] Biophilic Pattern #2: Non-Visual
Connection with Nature
- [15:26] Planty WFH Tip #5: Play nature sounds
like the one-square inch forest silence in the Olympic National
Park, bird songs, or waves
- [16:36] Planty WFH Tip #6: Have different plant
scents nearby, or you can use a diffuser like Maria!)
- [16:53] Biophilic Pattern #3: Non-Rhythmic
Sensory Stimuli
- [17:09] Planty WFH Tip #7: Set up bird feeders
or pollinator-attracting plants, or take care of rare-blooming
plants for a nice surprise
- [17:39] Biophilic Pattern #4: Thermal and Air
Flow Variability
- [17:59] Biophilic Pattern #5: Presence of
Water
- [18:07] Planty WFH Tip #8: It’s your
humidifier’s time to shine! Maybe a tiny fancy plug-in
fountain?
- [18:40] Biophilic Pattern #6: Dynamic and
Diffuse Light
- [18:52] Planty WFH Tip #9: Install a grow light
with a timer, and have a more sustainable work hours
setup!
- [19:12] Planty WFH Tip #10: Reduce your blue
light intake and light candles after a long day of work
- [19:33] Biophilic Pattern #7: Connection with
Natural Systems
- [19:47] Biophilic Pattern #8: Biomorphic Forms
and Patterns
- [19:56] Did you know there are interesting and
precise angles in nature?
- [20:35] Biophilic Pattern #9: Material
Connection with Nature
- [21:07] Planty WFH Tip #11: Add accents in your
home office like wood grains, fossil textures, and bamboo
rattans
- [21:30] Planty WFH Tip #12: Try a natural color
palette of greens and browns
- [21:50] How Maria and Billy managed their
storage during their move
- [24:52] Biophilic Pattern #10:
Prospect
- [25:04] Why it’s important to change the focus
of your eyes every once in a while
- [25:18] Biophilic Pattern #11:
Refuge
- [25:19] Why Maria recommends a planty
screen-free space
- [26:10] Biophilic Patterns #12: Mystery and
#13: Risk and Peril
- [26:20] The biggest rule of thumb of biophilic
designs for Maria
- [27:06] If you can’t have real plants, download
the Bloom and Grow Radio’s free and gorgeous watercolor of prickly
pear cactus in various states of bloom!
- [28:03] Planty WFH Tip #13: Envelop your space
in plants (if you can!)
- [28:32] Maria’s planty WFH tips and ideas based
on her own WFH setup
- [30:04] The best plants for low-light home
offices
- [31:13] Are you blessed with a high-light
office situation? Maria recommends these plants that love abundant
light
- [31:36] Planty WFH Tip #14: Install grow lights
to incorporate more plants
- [32:44] Planty WFH Tip #15: Tiny space? Go
vertical!
- [34:21] Maria’s biggest takeaways from
14 Patterns of Biophilic
Design and her top
advice on #plantyWFH setups
- [36:26] Finding joy and awe in your #plantyWFH
as a small break from your work day
Mentioned Resources in today's
episode
Thank you to our episode
sponsor:
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