Plants on your desk at work can help reduce stress, study finds

AWAJI, Japan -- If you've been thinking about sprucing up your office with a plant, you might want to go ahead and get one. A newly-published study says having plants on your office desk is a big help when it comes to reducing stress.

Researchers at the University of Hyogo in Japan looked at 63 office employees in real-world settings.

They had the workers take a three-minute rest with their desk plant there, whenever they felt fatigued.

The data showed an overwhelming majority of employees had much lower pulse rates with a small indoor plant compared to without one.

The study was conducted with six different types of plants. Researchers found all types helped reduce stress levels.