Understanding The Value Of Fresh Air In Your Home Office
Understanding The Value Of Fresh Air In Your Home Office
We spend 90% of our lives indoors, breathing 10,800 litres of air daily without knowing how it affects the quality of our work.
With a mere 1% increase in productivity, that one percent can affect a company’s bottom line.
So, whether you are looking to improve productivity while working from home or in the office, it might be time to consider looking into how fresh indoor air can affect your work. Â
Impact of Fresh Air in Productivity
In a study conducted by Harvard, 24 employees were tasked to perform their regular duties in a laboratory in Syracuse, New York.
For 6 days, their working environment was simulated by exposing them to different levels of ventilation.
On days when they were exposed to fresh air, their cognitive scores increased by 61%, on average.
On greener days when they were exposed to higher quality air in the lab, their test scores shot up to 100%.
The biggest improvements were in areas of crisis response, strategy, and information usage.
However, when these employees were once again subjected to typical office ventilation, their performance also decreased.
Improving Air Quality at HomeÂ
With 4.7 million Americans now telecommuting, according to FlexJobs.com, remote work is now becoming the new normal.
This increase in remote workers also increases the call to improve home air quality as well. Improving ventilation systems in offices cost around $40 per employee, annually.
This improvement increases productivity by 8%, which is equal to $6,500 per year.
If you are working from home, you can still improve indoor air quality by maintaining your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.Â
The easiest way to do this is to change your filter regularly. Filters are recommended to be changed once every three months.
If you have pets or respiratory problems, consider using High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.
With a simple search online, you can find the most user-friendly air filter discounts to match exactly what your home needs.  Â
Boost Fresh Air NaturallyÂ
Apart from having a clean HVAC system, indoor plants can also help. NASA discovered that some plants are effective in detoxifying confined spaces.
According to plant biologist, John Patykowski, plant species like crotons, gloxinia, rubber plants, yucca plants and basil can increase oxygen during the day as they perform photosynthesis.Â
In an average-sized room, two house plants can provide huge benefits to the space.
Not to mention, it takes very little effort to maintain. To keep it alive, having light, access to fresh air, regular watering and nutrients are all it needs.
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While natural light is best, light from LED bulbs will also work. Â
The quality of the air you breathe has a huge impact on your productivity and well-being.
Working at home gives you more control over the quality of your air indoors.
Choosing to do these simple steps will not only help finish tasks more effectively, but it will also improve your health.
When is the last time you checked on the quality of air in your home?
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Nancy Polanco is a freelance journalist, lifestyle content creator, and editor of Whispered Inspirations. She is a proud Mom to Gabby and Michaela and partner and best friend to Darasak. Having worked as part of a health care team for almost a decade, Nancy is happy to be back to her passion. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post, TODAY’s Parents, and an Oprah Magazine Brand Ambassador.
