Job interviews are the most stressful situation for Britons, according to research commissioned by Plants and Flowers Foundation Holland, which also suggests that living houseplants in a room may help lower anxiety.
The study asked Britons which life events and high-pressure situations provoke the greatest anxiety. Attending a job interview topped the list at 52%, with having a difficult conversation close behind at 50% and giving a presentation or speaking in public at 42%. Waiting for a medical appointment (41%) and sitting an exam or assessment (40%) completed the top five, with 26% even citing the build-up to participating in or watching important sports fixtures.
Indoor lifestyles and the natural remedy
The research found that 32% of participants identify being outdoors in nature as their most dependable remedy for stress relief. However, contemporary lifestyles and seasonal changes present a substantial obstacle, with those surveyed spending more than 14 hours a day indoors. Over half (56%) admit they seldom visit green spaces during the colder winter period.
Plants and Flowers Foundation Holland suggests this indoor isolation is having an impact, as more than a third of Britons (38%) indicate that extended periods spent inside leave them feeling worse. When asked which indoor environments they would most like to see enhanced with living plants, healthcare waiting rooms (48%), offices (27%), and job interview waiting areas (21%) led the rankings.
The 'plant paranoia' barrier and a football club experiment
The study points to a straightforward solution, with 30% of Britons indicating that having living houseplants in a room measurably reduces their stress levels and brings back a feeling of calm. Despite this, 'plant paranoia' is preventing many from taking action, with over a quarter (27%) discouraged from purchasing greenery because they fear the plants will perish regardless of their efforts.
To demonstrate that introducing greenery needn't be an anxiety-inducing commitment, Plants and Flowers Foundation Holland has collaborated with football club Forest Green Rovers and sports psychologist Dr Josephine Perry to examine how it performs in one of the most famously stressful indoor settings imaginable - an elite football changing room. Forest Green Rovers, described as the world's most environmentally-friendly and first carbon-neutral football club, now boast a bespoke installation of more than sixty houseplants sourced from Holland.
The project will be revealed for International Stress Awareness Week and prior to the team's National League fixture against Harrogate Town on Saturday [October 31]. It aims to provide visual evidence of nature's grounding influence to convert a volatile pressure cooker into a verdant oasis, with the idea that if plants can ease the nerve-jangling atmosphere of a sports dressing room before kick-off, they can readily transform a hectic home office, study area, or bustling living room into a peaceful sanctuary.
Expert views on the calming effect of greenery
Sports psychologist Dr Josephine Perry explained: "Whether you're an athlete in the tunnel before a vital match or someone stepping into a high-stakes job interview, the biological response to pressure can be powerful."
"Cortisol floods the body to speed up the heart and breathing rate, adds tension to our muscles, blocks access to the logical part of our brain and triggers a loud inner critic. When indoor environments are stark and clinical, that tension amplifies. Living greenery acts as a natural buffer, actively reducing nervous system arousal which helps sharpen our cognitive abilities, allowing us to focus and perform better."
She added: "Adding greenery to high-pressure spaces is one of the simplest, low-effort and accessible habits anyone can adopt to stay in control when the pressure mounts."
With 39% of survey participants expressing a desire to introduce plants into a high-stress room in their home this winter, Plants and Flowers Foundation Holland is urging the nation to revitalise their most stressful indoor environment to 'Feel the Plant Effect' for themselves.
Monique Kemperman, PR and events lead at Plants and Flowers Foundation Holland, stated: "The pre-match dressing room is defined by the high nerves and intense anticipation. By transforming Forest Green Rovers' changing room with plants, we wanted to showcase the grounding power of nature in an extreme setting. High-pressure moments happen in all our lives, whether we are preparing for exams, managing a tough week at work, or juggling family life. If houseplants can settle the pulse before kick-off, they can help anyone feel better inside and bring calm into their own home."
Forest Green Rovers founder Dale Vince commented: "We know time in nature is good for people as it's now being prescribed by doctors. We also know time at football games is good for people as that too is being prescribed by doctors and we pioneered it here at Forest Green Rovers with our Football on Prescription scheme. Plants in offices are well known to boost wellbeing, so why not in a changing room."
