Research done by New University of Technology Sydney has found strong evidence supporting the benefits of office plants for reducing stress and negative moods. Plants were found to promote wellbeing, and therefore, potentially performance. People who had plants placed in their offices showed reductions in stress levels and negative feelings. Importantly, just one office plant was enough to make all the difference. Read the research paper.

CIPHR goes into detail about the benefits of having a workplace plant:

Reduce stress:

Introducing plants to your working environment reduces stress. Work environments appear more calming and simply a nicer place to be when plants are present. They are more interesting, colourful and relaxing. The effects aren’t just psychological either, physiological effects such as lowered blood pressure are also proven benefits of a greener office. Plants also enable us to perceive our surroundings better, we feel more comfortable and this, in turn, reduces stress.

Increase productivity:

Productivity is known to be improved in an environment were plants are present. Cognitive tasks, concentration and focus are all improved, therefore increasing productivity within the workforce. In numerous studies conducted it has been found that fewer mistakes are made and tasks are completed faster. The higher level of concentration can be attributed to the plants ability to reduce excess carbon dioxide in the air.

Cleaner air to breathe:

By introducing a ratio of 1 plant per 3 employees, air quality can be improved within the office. CO2 can be reduced by 50% as well as a reduction in the dust, bacteria and mould which would otherwise be inhaled by employees. Dust levels in the workplace can be reduced by up to 20 per cent when plants are introduced. There are also man made toxins within an office created by plastics, paint, furniture, carpets, and certain cleaning products that will be reduced significantly by plants.

With correct placement of plants, the need for air con can also be reduced and the air kept at a higher humidity (up to 20%). By reducing the dry air caused by air conditioning and increasing humidity, illnesses such as tickly coughs are much less common.

Increased creativity:

In one study, plants were seen to increase creativity by 15%. One theory suggests that plants being present invoke our ancient instincts that there is food nearby (berries, fruit etc) and so we relax, become calmer, are happier and more creative.

For information on what plants are right for your workspace visit Ambius. 

A short video about creativity, produced by Wacom. "We create harmony between people and technology. As the world’s leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays and digital interface solutions, Wacom brings people and technology closer together through our natural, intuitive interface technologies."

Visit their site to view their products

Dominic Vavala: "The best way to explain the most essential things in how I work:

1. Lighting is important, I need to see detail from all my reference photos and what not. 
2. My laptop is important, I scan/open which ever photo into photoshop where I can manipulate the size zoom and change levels when I draw it. I can also apply grids to it if I use it as a guide in what I draw. 
3. Clean space around me, must be tidy. Mess I can't work around. Pencils I don't care which shade or colour that's easy, but I NEED them to be sharpened all the time. 
4. Comfortable chair height position.

But yeah clean space, laptop, lighting, sharp pencils and rubber, and comfortable height position of what I'm drawing on aka the desk."

Firstly, what is an ergonomic chair? The Collins English Dictionary defines ergonomic as: designed to minimize physical effort and discomfort, and hence maximize efficiency. So Ergonomic chairs are chairs that have been specially designed to give the user maximum comfort and convenience so they can focus and be more productive at their workstation.

Making sure you have an ergonomic chair is important if you spend a lot of time sitting at your workstation. Sitting is a position that adds stress to the structures in the spine. To avoid back problems, it is important to have a chair that supports the lower back and evokes good posture. In today's society, many will be sitting all day long, even if it isn’t for work, but for play.

So why get an ergonomic chair? Proper seating in a well-constructed chair can help reduce fatigue and discomfort, increase blood flow, reduce the risk of injury, and increase productivity. And isn’t that what we are aiming for?

Considering buying an ergonomic chair? Then you should probably visit an office shop near you. I would not recommend shopping for an ergonomic chair online because the users’ body dimensions must be used when selecting a chair so that it does not strain one part of the body while fitting another. It is difficult to know what you need and it is better to get advice from a professional.

The following features provided by Ergomat are very important to consider when looking for an ergonomic chair:

• Seat height: should be easily adjustable.
• Seat width and depth: should have enough width and depth to support any user comfortably.
• Lumbar support: lower back support is very crucial.
• Backrest: should be adjustable in both vertical and backward/forward directions.
• Arm rests: should be adjustable.
• Swivel: any ergonomic chair should rotate easily.
• Stability: a five star base is recommended for most working environments.
• Seat material: the material on the seat and back should have enough padding to be comfortable to sit on for extended periods of time.