Common stress symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and accelerated heart rate. By adopting healthy habits one can avoid stress. It is necessary to cope with work environment to avoid high stress levels.
Stress is found at all workplaces, and can affect an individual’s performance, health and well-being. An effort to control or manage stress levels at the workplace should be an integral part of all corporate houses. Many corporates are now introducing “green technology” to provide a healthy and stress free environment to their employees in order to increase their productivity and reduce stress.
They have set a new motto for themselves as well as for their employees, that is, “The cleaner the air you breathe, smarter you work and the longer you live” and based upon this motto they are modifying the work environment to reduce high levels of stress by improving indoor air quality.
A full-fledged indoor air quality division, CleanAir is equipped with lab facilities to monitor and improve indoor air quality. Air purification methods include:
- Removal of Nox / SOx & SPMs
- Removal of VOCs
- Removal of bacteria and fungus
- Addition of natural O2 by using bio-technology
One can dramatically improve the quality of air in their homes or offices with only three varieties of plants. These are areca palm, a living room plant that produces oxygen during the day, mother-in-law’s tongue, a bedroom plant that produces oxygen at night and money plant which is used to remove VOCs from the air.
Generally, air purification through plants is done scientifically. Air from a height of 120 feet is scrubbed with purified water and is then pumped into the green house that enriches it with oxygen and increases its humidity.
The water is UV treated to kill bacteria or any kind of fungal growth. The oxygenated air is then fed into the air-conditioned plant for cooling. Another innovative technology used is hydroponic culture. Here, plants thrive on nutrient solutions rather than on soil, which produces healthier plants and increases oxygen efficiency more than traditional gardening.
These technologies improve the office environment and take care of the health of occupants. Green technologies are all the more effective to de-stress employees so that they can contribute more effectively to their work.
Research conducted also reveals that people working in a clean atmosphere have 10 to 12 per cent less lung impairment as compared to people working in an atmosphere where the indoor air is not clean and pure. The incidence of eye irritation is reduced by 52 per cent, respiratory symptoms by 34 per cent, headache by 24 per cent and asthma by 9 per cent in this type of working atmosphere.
It also shows that there is an amazing increase in human productivity by having green plants in the office building, almost more than 20 per cent and energy costs reduce by an extraordinary 15 to 20 per cent.
Study has also shown that employees are less prone to diseases, which automatically means fewer sick days. The reason behind this is an increase in blood oxygen levels, which ensure that even after a strenuous eight working hours, the employees remain fresh and relatively stress free. These special indoor plants not only add oxygen but also help in reducing pollutants and increase oxygen supply as per demand.
Taking ecological benefits a step further, some companies follow the Rs Rs 3 approach, “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle”. This helps maintain a healthy ambience around the office space as well as in the mind, body and soul of the building’s inmates. This novel concept can be one of the ways that a person can adopt or apply to manage life better and avoid stress.
The writer is the CEO of Paharpur Business Centre
