RESEARCH
Interaction with Indoor Plants May Reduce Psychological and Physiological Stress by Suppressing Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Young Adults: A Randomized Crossover Study
Summary
This study investigated whether working with indoor plants could help reduce stress levels in young adults. Researchers asked 24 male university students to complete two tasks: transplanting a potted plant and performing a computer task. The tasks were done on different days in a controlled environment, and participants’ emotional states and body responses—like heart rate variability and blood pressure—were measured before and after each activity. The goal was to compare how each task affected psychological feelings and physical signs of stress.
The results showed that interacting with plants made participants feel more relaxed, comfortable, and natural compared to doing computer work. Physiologically, the gardening task lowered diastolic blood pressure and reduced activity in the part of the nervous system linked to stress (the sympathetic nervous system). These changes suggest that even short, hands-on contact with plants can help ease both mental and physical tension. The study supports using simple plant-related tasks as a way to cope with modern stress, especially stress linked to screen time and technology.
