What to do when recess ends
Remember back in the day when you’d near the end of the school year and beg your teacher to allow you to have class outside? For me, this was usually met with, “Taylor, for the fifth time – no. Now put your hand down.”
This question was posed long after the days of recess; but, as an adult, I can see why the answer was no. However, it’s now suggested that maybe it would’ve been beneficial to let us have at least some time outside.
Wellness in the workplace
A big thing in the workplace is wellness and how that relates to a happy working environment. Research has shown that, the happier a workplace is, the more productive it is in return.
Now the big topic, especially in the warmer months, is to encourage companies to give employees outdoor breaks. Getting fresh air and sunlight helps to boost mood and reduce stress (and, as someone who once had a pretty severe Vitamin D deficiency, I can attest to how beneficial this is.)
Nature helps to nurture
And while we cannot spend our entire workdays outside (unless you have my dream job as a bartender in an island tiki hut,) there are ways we can bring nature into the workplace. Sprucing up the office with plants and flowers helps bring the benefits of nature inside.
What also helps is having windows to allow natural light, rather than that fluorescent nonsense that is a total downer.
Other benefits of implementing nature into the 9-to-5 include less antisocial behavior and more human connection.
In addition, it can also combat health risks, such as: depression, obesity, and diabetes.
It’s also said that there is a link between exposure to nature and enhancing creativity. So putting plants throughout the office may very well inspire out-of-the-box thinking.
A note from the author
While this all may sound a little kumbaya, there is some truth to spending just a few minutes outside during the workday correlating to behavior. Whenever I do something as quick as take the garbage out at work, the few seconds outside help me feel rejuvenated and puts a little pep in my step to return to work.
So, as opposed to the days when smoke breaks were the only thing to get you outside during the workday, try and fit a little fresh air into your day and see where it takes you.
#gtfoutside
