PubMed · 2026-06-15
Spending time around blooming plants measurably reduces stress and improves mental recovery, regardless of weather — but how much you benefit depends heavily on your personality type, more so than your gender or even whether you prefer sunny or cloudy days.
Blooming plant landscapes significantly improved both brain-measured (EEG) and self-reported psychological recovery across all weather conditions tested.
Personality traits (especially neuroticism and extraversion) were the strongest predictor of individual recovery differences, with higher explanatory power than weather preference or gender (highest Mantel's r among all variables tested).
Neuroticism showed a nonlinear 'promotion–optimal–inhibition' pattern, meaning moderately neurotic individuals benefited most, while very high neuroticism suppressed restorative effects.