Forget fidget spinners and meditation apps - stressed-out young professionals in China are turning to a new desk buddy: the banana plant. This quirky trend, known as "stop banana green" (ting zhi jiao lu in Mandarin, which translates to "stop anxiety"), involves cultivating bananas right on their desks, the South China Morning Post reported.
The craze has taken root on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media platform similar to Instagram, where banana-growing has garnered over 22,000 likes. The process itself is simple and calming. Workers buy green bananas with the stems still attached and place them in water-filled vases. With a little care over a week, the bananas ripen from green to sunshine yellow, offering a delightful and therapeutic distraction from daily work pressures.
"From lush green to golden yellow, every moment is filled with endless hope and surprises," shared one enthusiast online. They added, "Eat away the anxiety and let your troubles vanish."
The shared experience of watching their bananas transform together becomes a conversation starter, fostering a sense of camaraderie among colleagues who can bond over the simple act of sharing a healthy snack.
"Desktop bananas naturally generate conversation," one observer noted. Some employees even personalise their bananas by writing colleagues' names on the skins to "reserve" them, adding a personal touch to this communal activity.
The desk banana craze has even reached Taobao, a major e-commerce platform run by Alibaba Group. Hundreds of stores now sell bananas specifically for this purpose, with the top seller alone moving over 20,000 bunches. This surge in demand has led some to suspect that banana farmers might have started the trend as a clever marketing ploy to boost sales during a slump.
"Are bananas not selling well this year? I've seen this type of banana being advertised more than once, and they are more expensive than buying them directly," commented one sceptical user on Xiaohongshu.
The desk banana craze has sprouted roots, with some office workers expanding their horticultural horizons. Take Yang, a 30-something employee, who's transformed her workstation into a tropical haven. "It feels like a mini-rainforest," she says, "like an early taste of spring!" Yang plans to further cultivate her desk garden, finding joy in personalizing her workspace.
Psychologist Yu Guangrui offers insights to Shanghai's Youth Newspaper: "By customizing their desks, young adults create a sense of belonging and security in their own space, ultimately leading to greater happiness at work."
China's long workweeks (often exceeding 49 hours) have young professionals searching for innovative stress-reduction methods. Last month, Xiaohongshu saw the viral rise of the "20-minute park effect," emphasizing the benefits of short urban park visits. Additionally, tree-hugging emerged as a popular stress reliever among Chinese youth last year.
In this high-pressure environment, these creative, nature-inspired trends offer a welcome escape. They transform ordinary office spaces into calming oases, fostering a sense of connection and much-needed respite.
