Nature's Role in Doing Our Life's Work
Why Nature?
One of the hardest things for most people to do during their workday is to spend time in Nature. Not only are our we busy, but most of us work in cities, where parks and other green spaces may not be close by. On top of that, there are other factors to consider, such as the weather and the extra time it takes to change in and out of appropriate clothing for the outdoors.
So why is Blended Working Adventures focused on physical activity in Nature during the workday?
There are two major reasons. First, we absolutely love Nature and how it makes us feel, and we also love how being in Nature helps us to be better at our jobs. We have years of first-hand experience blending outdoor physical activity into our workdays and we truly believe that it can be beneficial for others as well, regardless of their level of skill or fitness. So we are dedicated to giving people an opportunity to experience for themselves the benefits that being active in Nature can have on their workday.
We believe that Nature is the ultimate complementary activity to office work.
The second, and more important reason that we're focused on physical activity in Nature during the workday is that there is a lot of research to support the beneficial effects of this relationship. So we’re not asking you to just trust us when we say that being active in Nature during the workday helps us to be better workers. We’re telling you that there is scientific evidence that supports what we have witnessed through our own experiences. For example, a recent article on the Business Insider website shared 12 science-backed reasons to spend more time outdoors. All of them are relevant to physical health, mental health, and/or job performance:
1. Walking in nature could improve your short-term memory.
2. Being outdoors has a demonstrated de-stressing effect.
3. Spending time outside reduces inflammation.
4. Enjoying the outdoors helps eliminate fatigue.
5. Outdoor experiences may help fight depression and anxiety.
6. Being outside may protect your vision.
7. Spending time outside lowers blood pressure.
8. It could improve your ability to focus.
9. You may perform better on creative tasks after being outside.
10. Outdoor sessions may even help prevent cancer.
11. Forests also might boost your immune system.
12. Outdoor time is associated with a lower overall risk of early death.
Other studies have also found that:
- Compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement, decreases in tension, confusion, anger, and depression, and increased energy. (See research)
- Participants who took a 50-minute walk in Nature, compared to another group walking in a more urban environment, had lower anxiety, rumination (focused attention on negative aspects of oneself), and negative affect, as well as more positive emotions and better working memory performance. (See research)
There is much to be gained from being active outdoors during your workday and we want to help you find ways to make it happen. Our workshops and adventures are not only a chance for you to have a hands-on experience of blending your workday with outdoor physical activity. They are also designed to provide you with concrete strategies for more permanently adopting a Blended Working lifestyle into your life.