Studies find that being exposed to nature at work boosts people’s productivity, helpfulness, and creativity—with no evidence of negative side effects. How can you build little moments of nature into your team’s workplace (without breaking the budget)? Here are some strategies that can help. First, give employees opportunities to access the real thing: indoor fountains, natural sounds from the outdoors, and windows with views of gardens, trees, or landscapes. But keep in mind that people benefit from even artificial experiences of nature. Murals, photographs, paintings, noise machines that simulate nature, and artificial plants will give your team a little boost throughout the day. Next, think beyond the office. Encourage employees to spend some time outdoors each day at lunch, after work, or in the morning (if the climate allows). Finally, find unused spaces and put them to use. For instance, you might add some flowers to the office kitchen, or on a larger scale, you might consider planting some trees in your office’s overly industrial parking lot.
This tip is adapted from “Research: A Little Nature in the Office Boosts Morale and Productivity,” by Anthony Klotz et al.
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