While summers in Louisiana can be too hot to handle, we still like to make as much time as we can to be outside. 2020 may have taught us all the benefits of a quick walk around the neighborhood, but we’ve long been supporters of making the most out of outdoor spaces for work and play. Corporate environments, as well as healthcare and hospitality, can all benefit from outdoor spaces for their staff and clients alike.
Four Major Benefits To Working Outside
Working outdoors can sound like an unrealistic ideal. Sure, it would be nice to work outside, but can you actually get anything done? In a nutshell? Yes. And in fact it can have some major benefits to your work. There are four major ways that working outdoors can be beneficial to your employees: lowering stress, increasing creativity, improving memory and attention, and boosting collaboration. All of this not only makes your employees feel better, it also boosts your business!
Lowered Stress
A 2014 large-scale study found that spending time outdoors significantly reduces your stress hormones (cortisol) and boosts your endorphins and dopamine production which makes you feel happier. With stress and burnout being major contributors to employee’s dissatisfaction with their jobs, reducing stress and increasing happiness is a huge task that is made much easier with outdoor working environments.
Interacting with nature is also a great way to decompress after a particularly stressful meeting or task. Research shows that when stressed people interact with nature, their heart rate returns to normal much faster than those who do not. This makes outdoor areas particularly important for high-stress corporate jobs as well as the healthcare industry.
Increased Creativity
Being outside can also help you get out of a creative rut. When we’re stuck inside the same four walls day in and day out, our creativity can start to falter. But being outdoors, and allowing the mind to wander can spark new creative ideas that were just waiting to be unlocked.
Offering comfortable seating like the SEE! Lounge and Table by Janus Et Cie, pictured above, is an excellent choice for individual and collaborative work. It’s a modular design that can be positioned into individual seats or couches and has lots of storage space beneath the seat to get work bags or other items out of the way while you work.
Improved Memory and Attention
Being outdoors can even improve your memory and focus. In a study by the University of Michigan, researchers found that even if the participants didn’t record that they enjoyed spending time outside, it still improved their memory and attention after the fact.
Boost Collaboration
All of these benefits work together to make employees happier and more productive, plus, they also make it easier for employees to collaborate on projects. Lowered stress, and improved creativity and focus, all blend together to make for a seriously powerful brainstorming session. While not all meetings can be functional outside, it’s a great way to kick off new projects or re-energize existing ones.
Bringing the outdoors in is a great way to get this benefit, with the comforts of wi-fi and air conditioning. Making sure your employees can easily access greenery and natural light can give the same benefits as working outdoors. We love the example above from Haworth, utilizing their Harbor Work Lounge for comfortable seating with a small attached worktop.
The Great Outdoors: Not Just For Offices
Getting outside is a huge benefit for most businesses. Hotels and hospitality businesses can find that not only do their staff enjoy outdoor spaces, but so do their clientele. A beautifully designed outdoor seating area, poolside, balcony, or rooftop isn’t just impressive, it gives your guests a better experience. When people can look back at their stay in your hotel as being a relaxing and invigorating experience, they’re likely to return and tell their friends!
We love using beautiful outdoor furniture from Janus Et Cie in hospitality spaces. The Gigi II is a high-impact seating choice that is comfortable and sophisticated. It’s a great choice for casual seating environments, like a rooftop lounge.
For the poolside, we love their Quinta line. Made with elegant and weather-resistant Teak, the Quinta lounges, chairs, and tables are well-suited for high-traffic use. The whole Quinta range has classic lines that will never go out of style and are sturdy enough to last you for years to come.
Working outdoors is a huge benefit to so many businesses, their employees, and clients alike! To learn more about updates in outdoor work and hospitality environments, please get in touch with Marie Richoux and set up a meeting. Send an email to marier@kvworkspace.com to schedule.
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