A taste of nature can provide balance and calm during the workday

The crisp crinkle of fallen leaves, the gentle trickle of a flowing stream, a breath of fresh air – these natural sensations can invigorate the mind and calm the spirit. Yet for many professionals, the workday offers little opportunity to connect with nature, especially for those confined to windowless offices or urban environments.

Anna Rose Smith, a psychotherapist who began her career in Utah, remembers the challenge of working in an environment disconnected from nature. Her solution was simple but effective: she spent lunch breaks outdoors, collecting fallen leaves and flower petals to bring back to her desk. She even incorporated recorded birdsongs into therapy sessions with clients.

“It helps to just have that reminder that these things are going on outside,” Smith explains. “I can remember, no matter what happens in this room or with my job today, there’s still going to be birds singing.”

While direct access to natural settings during work hours can be difficult, especially in urban areas or during inclement weather, professionals are finding creative ways to incorporate nature into their workdays.

One increasingly popular approach is moving meetings outdoors. Smith sometimes suggests “walk and talk” sessions with clients on nearby greenways. The mobility of modern technology also allows for virtual meetings to take place outside, with participants joining video calls via smartphone while enjoying natural surroundings.

“I do definitely feel more calm,” says Smith, who now lives in North Carolina. “I think it helps with focus as well. I’m just feeling more peaceful and optimistic.”

Some forward-thinking companies are actively promoting these nature-integrated work practices. Atlantic Packaging, a sustainable packaging manufacturer headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, encourages employees to hold meetings in courtyards or while walking. The company has enhanced its Charlotte facility with fig trees and native plants to create a more natural environment.

Becca Schusler, Atlantic Packaging’s wellness director, implemented a nature challenge in 2024 where employees tracked time spent outdoors during various activities and shared photos from different locations across the country.

“It was just so wonderful because we got sunrises in the mornings, sunsets at night from all different areas, from the beach to the mountains in Nevada,” Schusler recalls. Notably, employees reported improved stress management as a result of increased time outdoors.

The company also instituted “Walk it out Wednesdays,” providing employees with a scheduled opportunity to stroll together and reset during the workday. This simple practice offers a mental break that can enhance focus and productivity when they return to their tasks.

Major corporations are also recognizing the value of natural elements in the workplace. Ford Motor Company redesigned its Dearborn, Michigan headquarters in 2025 with nature in mind, incorporating native plants, walking paths, and outdoor meeting pavilions. The company even strategically placed parking lots further from main buildings, creating an opportunity for employees to walk through landscaped areas with tall grasses, rocky outcroppings, and flowers.

“We are very careful about how we are engineering space so that our brains and our bodies react positively,” explains Jennifer Kolstad, Ford’s global and brand design director. “Designing for human health is our priority, our responsibility.”

When cold weather makes outdoor time less feasible, windows become vital connections to the natural world. Ford’s headquarters design placed offices in the center of floors, reserving exterior walls with large windows for collaborative spaces that everyone could access.

For those without window access, like Smith during her early career, even a hardy indoor plant can provide a touch of nature. She kept a pothos plant that survived on minimal light, occasionally moving it to a windowed office for weekend rejuvenation.

Commuting offers another opportunity for natural exposure. Bicycle commuting, even for part of the journey, allows workers to feel sunshine and fresh air before and after work. Many urban areas now offer bike-sharing programs, and proper cold-weather gear can make cycling comfortable year-round.

Erin Mantz, vice president of marketing at public relations firm Zeno Group in Washington, D.C., walks to Pilates class before work four times weekly, often before sunrise. On work-from-home days, she takes breaks to walk her dog along neighborhood paths.

Having grown up playing outdoors in Chicago, Mantz found it difficult to maintain her connection with nature when working full-time in an office. Her current hybrid schedule allows more outdoor time, which she finds mentally and physically rejuvenating.

“Growing up Gen X, we were always running around outside, and you have that great feeling of freedom and fresh air,” she says. “The fresh air reminds me of that youthfulness of being outside, and I think it’s physical and mental, honestly. I feel reinvigorated.”

As research continues to validate the health benefits of nature exposure, more workplaces may follow these examples, recognizing that employee wellness and environmental connection can coexist with productivity and professional objectives.