Being surrounded by noise, concrete and pollution is something that many of us experience on a day-to-day basis living and working in an urban environment. But this is not healthy for our body or our mind and over time can have a profound negative impact on overall health and well-being.

Adding greenery to an urban environment can help to ease the stress and fatigue that results. Which is why green or living walls have become so popular, as these not only enhance health and well-being by transforming carbon dioxide into oxygen but also help you to spiritually connect with nature, which is often missing when living in a concrete jungle. We've highlighted some of the many ways living walls can improve mental health and well-being below:

Greenery has been proven to increase workplace productivity and staff satisfaction

Studies undertaken in offices in the UK and the Netherlands have revealed that greenery not only boosts productivity, but also staff morale (http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-30837-001). The findings uncovered that a green office increased staff satisfaction and quality of life, as well as improved productivity by as much as 15 per cent. Installing a green wall in an office or corporate environment is a great way to channel these findings into enhancing work place mental health.

Man has an evolutionary bond with plants

Have you ever noticed how much more relaxed and peaceful you feel when surrounded by nature? This is believed to have resulted from man's evolutionary bond with plant life. The ability to recognise a plant's shade of green was an important part of human evolution because of man's need for medicine, food and shelter. An interesting fact which relates to this was uncovered by some optometrists who found the human eye can distinguish differences between 2000 shades of green and only 100 shades of red (https://www.quora.com/Why-does-the-human-eye-see-more-shades-of-green-than-any-other-colour). Based on this evolutionary theory about man's bond with plant life, adding a living wall to the home or office space is an ideal solution to decrease stress and improve mental health.

Air quality is enhanced with plants

It's a well-known fact that plants transform carbon dioxide into oxygen, but did you also know that greenery can also filter other pollutants often found in the air, including formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, trichloroethylene and xylene? These pollutants have been known to affect physical health and mental well-being by leading to respiratory conditions, poor eyesight and nasal cancer. By installing a living wall you can efficiently filter these and many other air-borne pollutants for better mental and physical health and well-being.

More peaceful environment by absorbing sound

While visually greenery can help you to de-stress and feel more relaxed, a living wall can also absorb sound waves, creating a more peaceful environment by reducing urban noise. Being surrounded by a peaceful environment is calming, which is very beneficial for mental health. So rather than spending money soundproofing your home or apartment, arrange to have living walls installed to increase your mental health and well-being, as well as create visually appealing features.

These are some of the many ways living walls can enhance mental health both at home and in the workplace. If you're interested in finding out more about living walls or having these installed in your office or home environment for the many benefits these provide, contact Jarvis Interiors. At Jarvis Interiors, we specialise in living walls and are dedicated to using creative interior design to help improve people's lives, health and well-being. We incorporate colour, sound and light therapy within our design concepts to create a visually appealing and functional environment that enhances physical and emotional well-being.