Stressed At Work? Keeping A Plant On Your Desk Can Help, Study Finds

This study verified the stress-reducing effect of gazing intentionally at a plant for a few minutes and actively engaging in the care of it in a real office setting when an employee felt fatigued. The results suggest that if employers provided active encouragement for workers to take three minute “nature breaks,” the mental health of their employees would improve, said Dr. Masahiro Toyoda, lead author of the study and professor at the University of Hyogo, where he specializes in horticultural therapy. The study is the “latest of those that continue to point out that plants are beneficial to humans,” said Dr. Charles Hall, Ellison Chair of International Floriculture at Texas A&M University. “It’s something we inherently knew, but has suddenly been quantified. And so now, we’re seeing the numbers behind the reasoning,” he said. Alleviating anxiety with plants To gauge the employees’ usual stress levels during days when they felt fatigued, the researchers used a measurement tool called the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory index (STAI) and recorded their pulse rates in the morning and night. First, there was a week-long control period without plants during which the participants measured their pulse by hand when they felt fatigued, and then took a second reading after three minutes of gazing at their desktop. The participants were then told how to water and care for the plants, and each chose one favorite plant. During the re...
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