Going bananas? Stressed-out China office staff cultivate desktop fruit to battle workplace stress

Burned-out young workers in China have found yet another novel way of alleviating workplace stress – cultivating bananas in the office.

Employee cultivators of the fruit describe the process by which it ripens as “stop banana green”, or ting zhi jiao lu, in Mandarin, which sounds similar to “stop anxiety” in English.

The trend gained popularity on Xiaohongshu, China’s Instagram, where related posts have attracted more than 22,000 likes.

The anxiety-busting bananas are typically bought when they are green with the stems still attached, allowing them to be cultivated in vases of water.

After a week or so of nurturing they are ready to eat.

The bananas are bought on the stem and placed into a vase of water to ripen. Photo: Xiaohongshu

This process of waiting for the bananas to ripen is considered a fun distraction from tension at work.

“From lush green to golden yellow, every moment is filled with endless hope and surprises,” one person said online, adding: “Eat away the anxiety and let your troubles vanish.”

It has also been said that sharing bananas with colleagues can foster better relationships at work.

“Desktop bananas naturally generate conversation,” one online observer said.

Some people write their colleagues’ names on the skin to “reserve” them, before handing them out to colleagues.

There are hundreds of stores selling bananas on the e-commerce platform Taobao alone, with the top-selling store recently shifting more than 20,000 bunches of the fruit. Taobao is operated by the Alibaba Group, which owns the South China Morning Post.

Some people have suggested that the trend began as a marketing stunt by banana farmers in response to a slump in sales.

“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,” said one person on Xiaohongshu.

In addition to cultivating bananas, some young office workers are also growing pineapples in vases.

People say office nurturing of the fruit makes for better relations with colleagues. Photo: Shutterstock

“My workstation is like a tropical rainforest, it feels like I’ve stepped into spring early,” said a 30-something worker, surnamed Yang, who grows fruit on her desk and plans to add more.

“Customising workstations according to personal preferences allows young people to create a sense of belonging and security in their own little space, helping them feel happier at work,” psychologist Yu Guangrui explained to Shanghai’s Youth Newspaper.

With the average working week exceeding 49 hours in China, young workers often seek ways to alleviate stress.

Last month, the “20-minute park effect” trend also went viral on Xiaohongshu, as office workers discovered that even a brief visit to an urban park could enhance their well-being and sense of happiness.

Last year, Chinese youngsters embraced tree-hugging as a stress-reliever.