Whether you work from home or in the office, completing some tasks outdoors can increase your happiness, energy levels and memory.
Changing your scenery and environment can be a refreshing break from your home office or building. If you spend a few days a week working outside in nice weather, you may experience significant changes to your mood and health. (1)
Common benefits of working outdoors include:
Increases your happiness and mood
Spending time outside in the sun and fresh air can impact your mood levels. Different forms of nature can typically reduce anxiety levels as well. On days when you're feeling negative or overwhelmed, going on a walk or sitting outside working may make you feel happier. Try to take a deep breath and let in the fresh air and nature scents. This allows you to boost your mood before returning to the office.
Improves your energy levels
The fresh air provided outdoors can burn the fuel in your cells to create energy, which allows you to feel more focused and productive throughout the day. Going outside can increase your oxygen intake and give you a break from the artificial air found indoors. Once you improve your energy levels, you can work on challenging assignments with a clearer mind and extra energy.
Relieves stress levels
Another benefit to getting fresh air and plenty of oxygen outdoors is it reduces your stress levels. Breathing in fresh air can typically reduce cortisol and other stress-inducing hormones, which can result in a more positive and less overwhelmed attitude. If you feel stressed or discouraged by work and don't have time to go outside, consider opening the window to let the fresh air in. You can also spend your breaks or early mornings outside meditating or performing yoga poses.
Rest your eyes and brain
You can typically increase your productivity and focus if you take regular breaks from staring at a computer screen and look at other objects around you for a few seconds. As you work outside, you can look at different objects in nature at a distance to relax your eye muscles. This also gives your brain a break from focusing closely on your work. The outdoors has many visually appealing objects in nature, which encourages you to take more breaks to look around, helping to rest your brain and eyes.
Keeps you healthy
Spending time outdoors can offer several advantages for both your mental and physical health. The sun can create vitamin D within your body, which may help fight off a wide variety of illnesses and conditions. This can prevent you from getting sick. Leaving your office chair and working or taking breaks outside can also give your back a break and reduce body pains you get from sitting at a desk throughout the day.
Enhances your memory
As your body both energizes and relaxes from the sunlight and fresh air, your cognitive abilities can improve alongside it. Spending time with nature may enhance your memory functions, especially your short-term memory. If you have a presentation coming up and would like to remember important facts or talking points, spend time outside studying them to increase the likelihood that you'll remember essential information.