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Title: AN ORGANIC APPROACH TO STRESS RECOVERY AMONG MIDDLE-AGED WORKING FEMALES WITH INDOOR PLANTS
Authors: AREEJ AYESHA (Corresponding Author), MS. QURAT-UL-AIN, Dr. Naveed Farah (Co Author), SAEED AHMAD ZAMAN
Journal: Contemporary Journal of Social Science Review
| Category | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Y | 2024-10-01 | 2025-12-31 |
Publisher: Frontline Education Research
Country: Pakistan
Year: 2025
Volume: 3
Issue: 1
Language: English
In the modern era, when the persistent pace of life and employment expectations may have a detrimental effect on mental health, an ancient connection between people and the environment has produced a ray of hope. Nature has been our constant provider, providing nutrition and life's necessities. Workplace stress management has become an important topic in the present day. Elements of the natural world, such as indoor plants, might help people get more engaged with nature, enhancing well-being and psychological health. This is due to the strong connection that humans have with nature. The current study attempts to carefully assess the usefulness of interaction with indoor plants in psychological stress reduction. This study looked at how indoor plants influenced the ability of middle-aged working women to recuperate from psychological stress. As an aspect of the study's experimental research design, participants' workplaces were provided with medium-sized snake plants. To measure the participants' stress levels, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), an eminent stress assessment tool was employed. The study assesses the stress levels of participants before and after placing a snake plant on their desks or their line of sight. The study's sample included thirty female office employees between the age of 35 and 50, divided into three age categories: 35-40, 40-45 and 45-50, who were chosen by using a random sampling approach. For data analysis, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and applicable statistical procedures in keeping with the study's aims were utilized. According to the findings, adding plants lowered total stress levels by 26.6%. The findings of this study contribute to workplace stress management insights, guiding employee stress reduction. Further, encourage research into tailoring indoor plant effects for precise psychological well-being interventions. This study explores how indoor plants can be helpful in recovering middle-aged working women from stress, providing an organic approach.
To carefully assess the usefulness of interaction with indoor plants (specifically the Snake plant) in psychological stress reduction and recovery among middle-aged working women (aged 35-50).
Experimental research design without a control group. The sample consisted of thirty female office employees (aged 35-50, randomly selected) whose offices lacked natural views or existing indoor plants. Participants were divided into three age groups (35-40, 40-45, 45-50). Stress levels were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) pre- and post-intervention. The intervention involved placing a medium-sized snake plant (15-20 cm tall) on their desks, requiring participants to interact with it for at least 5 minutes daily, keep it within 1 meter of their vision, and water it weekly for 30 days. Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics and the paired t-test via SPSS.
graph TD; A[Participant Selection N=30, Random Sample] --> B[Pre-Assessment: PSS Score]; B --> C[Introduction of Snake Plant Intervention 30 Days]; C --> D[Instructions: 5 min daily interaction, proximity, watering]; D --> E[Post-Assessment: PSS Score]; E --> F[Data Analysis Paired t-test, SPSS]; F --> G[Determine Overall & Age-Specific Stress Reduction]; G --> H[Conclusion on Plant Efficacy];
The findings support the hypothesis that interaction with indoor plants significantly decreases psychological stress among middle-aged working women, aligning with Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) and Attention Restoration Theory (ART). The intervention was most effective in the 35-40 and 45-50 age groups (both showing 40% reduction). The study suggests that incorporating indoor plants is a simple, organic strategy for workplace stress management, though the statistical significance (p=0.002) was relatively low.
Adding indoor plants resulted in an overall stress level reduction of 26.6% over 30 days. The mean perceived stress score decreased from 21.2667 (pre-assessment) to 19.3333 (post-assessment). The significance value (p-value) for the overall treatment effect was 0.002. Stress reduction varied by age group: 40% reduction in the 35-40 and 45-50 age groups, and 20% reduction in the 40-45 age group.
Indoor plants (Snake plant) have a significant positive impact on stress recovery for middle-aged working women, leading to an approximate 26.6% reduction in stress levels over one month. This intervention is recommended as a straightforward strategy to enhance well-being in office settings.
1. The study sample size was 30 female office employees. (Confirmed in Abstract and Methodology sections).
2. The overall stress level reduction observed after the treatment was 26.6%. (Confirmed in Abstract and Results sections).
3. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to measure stress levels. (Confirmed in Abstract and Methodology sections).
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