Researchers have determined that looking at plants and guided meditation have similar effects on our mental state. Archary and Thatcher studied recovery from mental fatigue (which degraded mood) and found that “distress significantly decreased for participants in the indoor plant break condition while distress significantly decreased . . . in the guided meditation break condition. Indoor plants and guided meditation had a small, but significant positive impact on [mood] restoration. . . . Indoor plants are a cost-effective green ergonomics intervention in offices. This study found that a rest break with indoor plants was as effective as a rest break with guided meditation for affective [mood] restoration after [mental] fatigue.”
Preyen Archary and Andrew Thatcher. 2021. “Affective and Cognitive Restoration: Comparing the Restorative Role of Indoor Plants and Guided Meditation.” Ergonomics, vol. 65, no. 7, pp. 933-942, https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2021.2003873