Self-help gurus like to offer a lot of advice, but one helpful tidbit they might not tell you is that having an indoor plant, such as Lemon Lime dracaena, can increase your productivity. Keep one of these easy-care plants at your desk and reap the benefits, including:

1. You’ll Feel Better

Indoor plants such as Lemon Lime dracaena are efficient air filters. Scientists at NASA found they pull harmful chemicals, called VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from the air. Over time, exposure to these compounds can make you sick and lead to a variety of health problems, including irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat; frequent headaches; and nausea. Over time, VOC exposure may even increase your cancer risk. 

Additionally, scientific research shows indoor plants can help keep you at work (so you can enjoy your days off instead of being sick in bed); studies in Sweden found that folks who worked in offices with indoor plants suffered fewer headaches, sore throats, and sick days. The more you’re in the office and feeling well, the more you’re at your A-game -- and the more productive you are. 

2. You’ll Be Less Stressed

Other scientists have found that being around plants in the office can lower stress and blood pressure. The less stressed you are, the more you can focus on getting the job at hand done, and done well. That indoor plant can 

3. You’ll Remember More

An indoor plant can help you remember key details, too. Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered that indoor plants in the office can improve attention span and memory. While they may not give you a photographic memory, every extra important fact you can hold on to can make you more efficient and productive at work -- and look like a rock star to your boss. 

4. You’ll Be More Creative

There’s also science that shows being around plants can help boost our creativity levels. And increased creativity can improve job performance in a variety of ways, from the way we look at and approach data to the way we communicate via email and verbal communication. 

5. You’ll Solve Problems Better

A recent study at Texas A&M University showed that having indoor plants like Lemon Lime dracaena in the workplace can help improve problem solving skills. Men, in particular, generated more ideas in rooms that contained indoor plants (women, on the other hand, came up with more creative solutions to the problems they were tasked to solve). 

Looking to get a bigger raise or promotion? Just work hard and grow a plant! 

Written by Justin Hancock