Struggling to focus? Stare at a plant

Being around nature is good for your brain

(Getty)

A new study conducted by the University of Melbourne has found that looking at plants and flowers even just for a few seconds can boost concentration.

Published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, '40-second green roof views sustain attention: The role of micro-breaks in attention restoration' demonstrates how mind-numbing tasks can be more easily completed if you soak in some nature.

Subjects were asked to watch a series of random numbers flash up on a screen and press a key every time a new digit came up. It intentionally got boring very quickly, and the volunteers were given a 40-second break.

Half looked at an image of a dull, grey rooftop during this time, while the other looked at the same rooftop but covered in flowers.

The students who looked at the floral image performed significantly better once the number task resumed, made fewer errors and were able to concentrate more.

And that was just from looking at a photo of some plants, imagine the admin you could get done with a whole bunch of flora and fauna at your desk!

There is plenty of research out there linking good mental health with being around nature, with walking in a park also having been found to ease brain fatigue.

@christophhooton