Keep plant on desk and gaze at them for few minutes to reduce workplace stress
Kathmandu, February 7
A recent study conducted in Japan suggested that keeping a plant on desk could reduce workplace stress.
As reported by the CNN, the researchers conducted an experiment on workers at an electric company in Japan and observed their changes in stress levels pre- and post-involvement with plants.
The findings of the research, which was published in the HortTechnology journal, showed that the number of employees with high scores on an anxiety measurement test decreased their scores slightly. Another 27% of employees in the study showed a significant decrease in resting heart rate.
According to the researchers, the 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", Dr. Masahiro Toyoda, lead author of the study and professor at the University of Hyogo, was quoted as saying by the CNN.
