Want better
workplace
results?
Research
says take it
outside
F
rom standing desks and team-
building events to onsite services
and remote work opportunities,
companies have adapted over the
years to adopt new solutions that
will grow their company, improve
employee retention and increase
productivity.
BPT
Ӿ Ӿ Improved focus. Yes, we’d all love to
believe that we can commit to eight
solid hours of work every single day,
but the truth is it doesn’t happen
and in many cases that productivity
slips as the day goes on. Working
outside, however, has been shown
to improve workplace focus and can
restore cognitive and physical energy
to dive back into a project. In fact,
research appearing in the book Your
Brain on Nature shows that spending
time outdoors can lead to increased
motivation, improved memory and
reduced mental fatigue.
However, while all of these initiatives
have their benefits, John Scott, senior
workplace design strategy expert for
Haworth, points out many companies
are missing one key solution - an
opportunity that exists all around
them. The chance to enjoy the fresh
air and take their work outside.
Ӿ Ӿ Take an eye break. Too much screen
time isn’t solely an issue for teenagers.
Ӿ Ӿ With so many design trends to focus Adults can face this challenge as
on, the one that almost always gets well, especially those who focus on
overlooked is utilizing the outdoors a computer screen as part of their
to work and collaborate,” Scott says, job every single day. However, taking
adding that the benefits of outdoor a break outside or working outside
work extend beyond physical wellness. allows for a respite from the constant
There are several benefits to a person’s screen time. Take a moment to look
total well-being as well, including the away from the screen and toward a
following.
tree or bush in the distance and it will
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OCTOBER 2018
provide just the break your eyes need.
Ӿ Ӿ Relax your brain. Work can be
stressful but spending time outdoors
- whether at work or not - has been
shown to release certain chemicals in
the brain like Gamma-Amino Butyric
Acid that work to calm your mind.
So, if a certain project is giving you
difficulty, taking it outside can help
you tackle it in a more rational, calm
way.
Ӿ Ӿ Increase and harness creativity.
Creativity and innovation are critical
objectives that many companies are
racing to better understand and
realize in order to lead their markets
and industries. For these elements to
flourish, work space should protect
its employees’ ability to focus,
collaborate effectively and support
the ideal creative rhythms within an
organization. Harvard physician Eva
M. Selhub, co-author of Your Brain on
Nature, says spending time outdoors
allows the higher brain centers to
be accessed, resulting in increased
continued on pg. 47