Stuck behind a desk from 9 to 5? Here’s some fresh ideas on how to get outdoors during a typical working day…
Picture a typical office setting and you’re likely to think of rows of desks, bathed in strip lighting with lots (and lots) of screens. Spending eight hours couped up in this uninspiring environment can often leave us stressed, lethargic, and even resentful of our jobs.
As human beings, we thrive in natural environments. Study after study has proved that exposure to green spaces (parks, gardens), blue spaces (pools, the ocean), and particularly, as a King’s College London study found, a combination of the two (canals, lakes, rivers), can improve our wellbeing by reducing stress and anxiety, and boosting mood and brain function. This is hugely beneficial for working life – so instead of shutting ourselves inside from nine until five, how can we incorporate the great outdoors into a regular office day?
“The productive-at-desk view is still strong, and is born out of a command-and-control management style, but society has moved on,” explains wellbeing consultant and founder of Bamboo Mental Health, Tom Oxley. He believes that by persuading your boss there are countless benefits to working outdoors now and then, you can help shift this desk-bound culture. “There’s a performance case here for planning, problem-solving, and creativity. When we’re exposed to natural environments, compared to the stale environment of an office, we’re less restricted and more productive.
“Nature clears the mind and cools the brain for better decisions, natural light wakes us up, and we’re designed to move instead of sitting down all day, so it helps manage ergonomic problems, too,” he adds.
With that in mind, here are five ways to make the outdoors part of your daily routine at the office (including two for when you really can’t escape your desk before home time).
Take a walk when in need of ideas and solutions
Adding a brief walk or two into your day at the office is an easy way to prolong the time spent outside. But don’t limit your walks to break times, they’re beneficial during work time too.
A study by Stanford University discovered that, compared to sitting down, creative thinking improves by 60% while we walk, and continues for a short time afterwards. So, leave your desk and take a walk around the block the next time you need to produce fresh ideas or solve a difficult problem.
Hold meetings on the move
Meetings with others take on a whole different feel when you’re outside on a walk. Without meeting room chairs to slouch in, it’s surprising how efficient a meeting can be. Walking meetings can also encourage more openness and honesty. Tom agrees they can be particularly helpful for more sensitive encounters, adding: “Outside is often a private place for conversation – we can swear or allow tears away from the prying eyes of colleagues. Walking also allows us to process cortisol and adrenaline by stomping out our frustrations.”
Stare at the sky
Staring at a vast expanse of sky isn’t just good for screen-tired eyes, it can give you mental space, too. In fact, sky gazing is found to be an extremely simple way to regulate your emotions and reduce stress. Skychology, a method developed by coaching psychologist Paul Conway, involves observing the sky for at least 60 seconds, while breathing deeply. His research found it to be instantly calming, helping us achieve clarity and perspective, and experience a sense of awe, which promotes prosocial behaviours. You could practise this technique in the park on your lunch break (simply lie back and watch the clouds), or even through your office window when you need a quick fix.
And for those times when you really can’t escape your desk…
Listen to nature, virtually
Transport yourself to the beach or a countryside meadow by plugging in your headphones and listening to a playlist or meditation app of natural sounds. Numerous studies have found that listening to the sounds of nature, such as ocean waves or birdsong, can enhance our wellbeing, even if it’s a recording.
As an example, a 2020 study by California Polytechnic State University found that when hikers heard recordings of birdsong via speakers placed along a trail, they reported a marked improvement in wellbeing after listening for just seven to 10 minutes. Another study, commissioned by the National Trust from 2019, discovered that listening to woodland sounds, such as the rustling of leaves, was even 30% better at increasing feelings of relaxation than a voiced meditation app.
Bring the outdoors in
If you clear away the coffee mugs and stash your stationery in the drawer, your desk has plenty of space for more natural accessories. Pot plants are an easy way to add some welcome greenery to your workspace – in fact, a University of Exeter study concluded that having plants in the office boosted workplace wellbeing by 47%, along with increasing creativity 45%, and productivity 38%.
You might also want to consider adding other tactile objects such as pebbles from a memorable beach trip, or pinecones from your favourite woodland. Tom Oxley says: “I have stones in my pockets that when I feel them, I remember collecting them while larking about with my daughter. I also have sand in the pocket of my backpack, so when I see it I’m taken back to that summer. I may be at work, but no one knows I’m 5% on holiday…”
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