Can placing potted plants in the office reduce work anxiety? Study says "3 kinds of plants" can best help reduce stress
Feeling stressed out and depressed recently? You might as well place plants in your indoor space, which may help improve your mental state! A study published in “Building and Environment” showed that placing plants and potted landscaping in the workplace or indoor space can help improve mental health; further analysis found that among 8 plant samples, 3 of them Considered to bring the greatest sense of happiness.
Putting potted plants in the office to reduce work anxiety? Study: “3 Plants” Best Help Reduce Stress
The research was co-sponsored by the University of Reading and the Royal Horticultural Society. The research team used an online questionnaire to investigate the psychological reactions of 520 subjects to the appearance of different indoor plants. They viewed 12 photos of plants of different shapes and answered questions in a questionnaire based on their perceptions of the plants’ appearance. The 8 kinds of plants in the 12 pictures are: weeping fig, tiger tail orchid, cactus, white star arrowroot, bird’s nest fern, golden kudzu, red-edged bamboo banana (also known as green-leaf dracaena) and rhododendron (also known as yellow coconut) .
Eight kinds of plants are believed to be beneficial to the subjects’ mental health when in a lush and healthy state. However, three of the plants: golden kudzu, weeping fig, and rhododendron were considered by the subjects to be the most helpful in promoting a good mood; plants with non-green colors and withered plants were considered to have a negative impact on mental health. Such as cacti and red-edged bamboo, subjects found their appearance to be unpleasant and depressing.
In addition, the subjects also rated the shape of the plants. Spherical (46%) plants were the most popular, followed by columnar (33%), conical (12%) and irregular spreading (9%). ). The findings suggest that plants with lush green leaves, high leaf area and dense canopies may have the greatest benefits for mental health and are beneficial for maintaining focus at work.
How to choose plants that can help your mental health? Experts call for three major principles to be grasped
Jenny Berger, the author of the study, said that previous psychological research has pointed out that objects with lines can easily arouse people’s positive emotions. In this study, this view also applies to indoor planting. Round-leafed plants such as golden kudzu and weeping fig, or rhododendrons with softly arched crowns are considered to have relaxing shapes and colors, and are more attractive than cacti and red-edged bananas with spiky and sharp edges. popular.
Berger emphasized that the number of plants placed indoors is not necessarily better. In fact, just one carefully selected indoor plant is enough to boost your mood. Research from Japan found that the presence of leafy plants can increase creativity in the workplace; however, if people are performing a task that requires concentration, too many plants can be distracting.
Berger also suggested that people choose to buy plants that are easy to care for, such as sansevierias, taro, ficus or spider plants. These plants are not easy to wilt and can survive with only a small amount of watering. As for the correlation between round-leaf plants and promoting mental health, it needs to be confirmed by experiments with a larger sample size; scientists also need to further clarify whether it is effective in improving the symptoms of patients with depression and anxiety.
Source:
Effects of Indoor Plants on Human Functions: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses
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