I think this was a great post. Anxiety kills us all to be quite honest. Dealing with it sucks. Like we want to keep moving but life wants to kick us down and keep pressing its foot on us. However, we must stand up everytime we fall and keep pushing forward. Not because of our egos, but because we refuse to be defeated.
But yes, plants are nice to have and do help. Plus I sleep with a plushy too. A big comfy rabbit, because I'm weird like that and my girlfriend loves me because of it. That being said, not everyone can look in a mirror, see the cracks and say "Hi handsome."
that work environment described is AWFUL!!!! AWFUL!! I would have been a volunteer for sure to have a plant, & if allowed, bring in some more of my own. I have many in my house & they thrive. The area I live now, outside, I can't grow the plants I used to love, but have come to enjoy the cacti & such varity...
I believe taking care of something living other than themselves had a role in their improved outlook. A shift in focus always seems to help improve my perspective and there is a lot to be said for distractions.
I've had dogs my entire life, & a cat adopted me; the cat & dog were best buddies. I would love another dog & cat, but can't bear to go thru the end stages of their lives which would be the case because at my age now I'd most likely look for an older rescue... I know the argument would be if I went before the dog or cat, then the animal would become a rescue (I have no family nearby who could take a pet), but there are already sooooo many animals in need, why potentially add to that...
but I agree w/ you, dogs are absolutely marvelous, if you're able to have one!! And cats!!
I'm not convinced. Yes, not a great place to work. But also a problematic investigation. Without a link to the study or name of the journal in which it was published, we can't be sure or verify if Bill included all the experimental design details. But if he did, this is a poorly designed study. First, the participants weren't randomly selected, but volunteered to participate after learning about the study (how much, we don't know), so their likelihood of having a positive stress-reduction outcome is tainted. Second, there are no controls. Just taking a 3-min break could have been enough to reduce the stress of the participants, with or without plants. A standard control would have them simply take the 3-min break without a plant. A better design would include a sham control like an artificial (plastic) plant or had the participants water and care for an empty pot.
nothing at all to do w/ today's topics, any of them... but we are reading on April Fools Day... Bill, you like finding fun facts, hmmmm...
I asked my grown sons if anyone was playing Ap fools day jokes... Una, the 9 yr old daughter of Dan (my oldest) switched his contacts in the contact case w/ googly eyes...
then he wrote:
"I'm being good this year. No pranks, just helpfulness...such as explaining to the kids why we celebrate April Fools Day on the 1st... because of the greatest human prankster who ever lived... born on April 1st, 1343 in medieval Ireland... and traveled Europe doing increasingly ambitious pranks... including tricking a town in Northern Italy to build a castle to a non-existent king... etc.
"One of the most widely accepted theories is that April Fools' Day dates back to the late 16th century when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1582. Before the switch, the new year was celebrated around the end of March and early April. People who didn’t hear about or refused to accept the change continued celebrating the new year on April 1 and were mocked as “fools.”"
(A) Because I'm a scientist. (B) Because science is by its very nature self-correcting, so if something about a study doesn't seem right, scientists are trained to call it out. (C) So non-scientists don't end up following the findings of studies that make their way to the popular press without learning about how the research may have suffered from poorly designed experiments or the data misinterpreted or misrepresented.
So no, not "serious" in the case of authors advocating for placing a plant on your office desk to relieve stress, but what if they claimed pill with medicine X was the cure for office stress?
I live in the tropics surrounded with all sorts of green stuff outside but I have inside plants since they take less care in pots than in the heat and insects out in the 24 foot planter with an odd exposure to sunlight. Funny thing though. People here seem to think that indoor plants are hazardous to one’s health which I found rather odd. Different strokes and all that.
I think this was a great post. Anxiety kills us all to be quite honest. Dealing with it sucks. Like we want to keep moving but life wants to kick us down and keep pressing its foot on us. However, we must stand up everytime we fall and keep pushing forward. Not because of our egos, but because we refuse to be defeated.
But yes, plants are nice to have and do help. Plus I sleep with a plushy too. A big comfy rabbit, because I'm weird like that and my girlfriend loves me because of it. That being said, not everyone can look in a mirror, see the cracks and say "Hi handsome."
Keep it up as always, Bill!
Or they can open the blinds and look at the plants outside...
There you go speaking sense again!
that work environment described is AWFUL!!!! AWFUL!! I would have been a volunteer for sure to have a plant, & if allowed, bring in some more of my own. I have many in my house & they thrive. The area I live now, outside, I can't grow the plants I used to love, but have come to enjoy the cacti & such varity...
An experiment for the next season of Severance?
I believe taking care of something living other than themselves had a role in their improved outlook. A shift in focus always seems to help improve my perspective and there is a lot to be said for distractions.
Every home needs plants and at least one dog.
I've had dogs my entire life, & a cat adopted me; the cat & dog were best buddies. I would love another dog & cat, but can't bear to go thru the end stages of their lives which would be the case because at my age now I'd most likely look for an older rescue... I know the argument would be if I went before the dog or cat, then the animal would become a rescue (I have no family nearby who could take a pet), but there are already sooooo many animals in need, why potentially add to that...
but I agree w/ you, dogs are absolutely marvelous, if you're able to have one!! And cats!!
That’s exactly what I have; plants and a sweet little dog. She’s my bed mate now.
I'm not convinced. Yes, not a great place to work. But also a problematic investigation. Without a link to the study or name of the journal in which it was published, we can't be sure or verify if Bill included all the experimental design details. But if he did, this is a poorly designed study. First, the participants weren't randomly selected, but volunteered to participate after learning about the study (how much, we don't know), so their likelihood of having a positive stress-reduction outcome is tainted. Second, there are no controls. Just taking a 3-min break could have been enough to reduce the stress of the participants, with or without plants. A standard control would have them simply take the 3-min break without a plant. A better design would include a sham control like an artificial (plastic) plant or had the participants water and care for an empty pot.
did he publish this on April Fool's Day????
I don't know why the link didn't publish but here it is:
https://journals.ashs.org/horttech/view/journals/horttech/30/1/article-p55.xml
Dude…lighten up. Why so serious???
nothing at all to do w/ today's topics, any of them... but we are reading on April Fools Day... Bill, you like finding fun facts, hmmmm...
I asked my grown sons if anyone was playing Ap fools day jokes... Una, the 9 yr old daughter of Dan (my oldest) switched his contacts in the contact case w/ googly eyes...
then he wrote:
"I'm being good this year. No pranks, just helpfulness...such as explaining to the kids why we celebrate April Fools Day on the 1st... because of the greatest human prankster who ever lived... born on April 1st, 1343 in medieval Ireland... and traveled Europe doing increasingly ambitious pranks... including tricking a town in Northern Italy to build a castle to a non-existent king... etc.
"Make sure to tell your friends today!"
Gonna reply to my own post cause I want y’all to pass this along on APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!!!
Bill, Bill, Bill —- the clock is ticking —- do your research 🧐
"One of the most widely accepted theories is that April Fools' Day dates back to the late 16th century when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1582. Before the switch, the new year was celebrated around the end of March and early April. People who didn’t hear about or refused to accept the change continued celebrating the new year on April 1 and were mocked as “fools.”"
No idea if this is true though!
Hmmmmm - maybe you need a castle built in your “Irish” hometown 😉
Gotcha —-
“Make sure you tell all your friends today” 😉😉
another reply - but ya can't "tell all your friends" ---> the clue unless <---it's April Fool's Day
so now you have to wait a year
An April Fool's joke or not, plants and gardening have proven to be very therapeutic!
Another major factor in stress reduction might have been permission to take a 3-minute break whenever one felt stressed.
(A) Because I'm a scientist. (B) Because science is by its very nature self-correcting, so if something about a study doesn't seem right, scientists are trained to call it out. (C) So non-scientists don't end up following the findings of studies that make their way to the popular press without learning about how the research may have suffered from poorly designed experiments or the data misinterpreted or misrepresented.
So no, not "serious" in the case of authors advocating for placing a plant on your office desk to relieve stress, but what if they claimed pill with medicine X was the cure for office stress?
I live in the tropics surrounded with all sorts of green stuff outside but I have inside plants since they take less care in pots than in the heat and insects out in the 24 foot planter with an odd exposure to sunlight. Funny thing though. People here seem to think that indoor plants are hazardous to one’s health which I found rather odd. Different strokes and all that.