THIS Will Reduce Your Work Stress

It's the new year and it's back to the grind for most Iowans. Many of us had some time off and may be behind on work project and that means you are likely to be dealing with additional stress. There are a ton of apps, articles, and new-age ways to deal with stress now. But it's nice to know a few old tricks still work. If you're stressed out at your job, a new study found keeping a a simple plant on your desk really can help.

Researchers in Japan had about 60 people take small, three-minute breaks at their desk whenever they felt stressed.

First, none of them had plants. Then each person got one small plant to put next to their computer screen where they could see it. Then once the plants were there, the short breaks helped even more.

Their heart rates were lower, and they scored better on anxiety tests.

Apparently just seeing the plant over and over all day made a difference. But watering it and having something to care for also played a part. The great thing is the plant doesn't have to take a up a lot of space. The ones in the study were tiny. So even something like a small succulent works.

(Via Eureka Alert)