Where do you spend most of your workday? If you’re like the average American, you likely spend 90 percent of your day indoors, and 73 percent of your working hours sitting down. And if you have an office job and work at a desk, chances are you staring at your computer screen for up to seven hours at a time.
This sedentary lifestyle indoors has long-term health consequences like increased risk of heart disease as well as office hazards such as air pollutants and equipment bacteria. Beyond health, an indoor health environment also has an effect on your work performance, productivity, and memory.
The reason? Human beings are biologically built to experience outdoor scenery and environmental changes. Research shows that greenery, natural sunlight, and outdoor air are necessary for us to thrive and work — conditions that aren’t present in an indoor office.
While actions, like regulating the indoor temperature and cleaning your desk, can help, going outdoors is the most potent way to improve your work performance. As the leader of your team, you can incorporate the outdoors with activities like walking meetings, outdoor lunches, and remote outdoor workspaces. This will not only increase the output of your team but also provide you with the benefits needed to become an effective leader.
Some of the most compelling benefits of taking your work outdoors include increased feelings of trust, greater enthusiasm, enhanced creative problem-solving skills, and relieve stress. For the science and data behind these benefits, check out the following infographic from BigRentz.
Please include attribution to BigRentz with this graphic.
