Workplaces are integrating nature to bring balance and calm. Here's how

"After a youth spent climbing trees and playing soccer, Anna Rose Smith found it difficult when her first job as a psychotherapist in Utah required working in a windowless office. So she spent her lunch breaks outside, walking to nearby fountains or gardens. She picked up flower petals or leaves from the ground and brought them back to her desk, where she would listen to recorded bird songs, sometimes incorporating the soothing chirps into sessions with clients."

"The crisp crinkle of fallen leaves beneath your feet. The swish and trickle of water moving through a stream. A breath of crisp, fresh air. Spending time in nature can be invigorating or produce feelings of peace and calm. But many professions allow little time or access to the outdoors during the workday. Getting to trees or shorelines can be challenging during work hours, especially in cold weather and urban environments."

Spending time in nature can be invigorating or produce feelings of peace and calm. Many professions allow little time or access to the outdoors during the workday. Anna Rose Smith experienced difficulty working in a windowless office and used lunch breaks to walk to fountains or gardens, collecting petals and leaves and listening to recorded bird songs, sometimes including them in sessions. Urban settings and cold weather make reaching trees or shorelines challenging during work hours. Scheduled meetings can take place outdoors; in-person appointments can happen on a park bench, and walk-and-talk meetings at nearby greenways offer practical alternatives.

Read at Fast Company