The influence of horticultural activities on the psychological state of college students participating in online learning during the Covid-19

To control Covid-19, China’s Ministry of Education has called for the “suspension of classes without suspension of learning”. Online learning enabled college students to remain in isolation at home during the epidemic. However, it also placed unprecedented pressure on college students. Horticultural activities have been proven effective in alleviating negative emotions. We examined whether brief horticultural activities could effectively relieve stress in college students engaging in long-term online learning during the epidemic. The study was divided into two stages. In the first, conducted during the epidemic, mental state data of 380 participants were obtained via self-assessment and a standard scale. To verify reliability, 72 participants completed the second stage, which used brain waves and desktop operation tasks to obtain physiological and ability index data, after resuming school. Results showed that participation in five-minute horticultural activities alleviated negative psychological pressure and restored brain activity in college students who had been involved in long-term online learning during the epidemic. We encourage learners, especially those who are studying online at home for the long term due to the epidemic, to place as many green plants as possible within their line of sight to increase their contact with plants. © ISHS 2022.