Living under a lockdown was a challenge; there’s no doubt about it. Even the most fervent introverts found themselves striving for some social interaction. And miss sitting on streets and getting some fresh air perched on urban street furniture, right outside their offices.
But when the offices start back up, is anyone ready to head back inside the close quarters with their colleagues? Human beings are creatures of habit, just as much as they are social, after all.
But, what if the offices looked different? What if the office came surrounded by green hedges or lush planters? Or a walk away from trendy commercial outdoor benches where you can have your coffee. Imagine what it would be like for employees to enjoy breaks with each other, bathed in natural sunlight and fresh air. Employee satisfaction would be through the roof!
With an emphasis on offering healthy work conditions, many organizations are looking at outdoor workspaces as an alternative. Outdoor workspaces might just have the power to make your employees feel more comfortable about returning to the office.
Outdoor workplaces offer a known environment for the people working. Rather than being the employees bothered by the noises, outdoor workstations can bring the company’s success.
The following factors can help with that:
A Creativity Boost
Another advantage of working outdoors is enhanced creativity. A groundbreaking study recently revealed a surge in creative output, a notable increase in people’s ability to generate ideas when they spend more time outdoors. Simply walking outside produced the most novel and highest quality ideas. Imagine what working outdoors could do. As it happens, how most teams brainstorm— packed inside conference rooms—may not be the most efficient approach.
Improved Problem-Solving
Working outdoors might also offer a powerful boost to everyone’s problem-solving skills. A recent study found that participants solved an average of 47 per cent more puzzles after finishing a hike compared to those who did not go on the hike.
While taking a stroll in the middle of our workday may not be the most sensible option, there is evidence that merely taking a walk at an average, comfortable pace helps open up the more creative pathways in our brains.
Increased Happiness, Engagement & Talent Retention
Most importantly, outdoor workspaces with innovative street furniture can increase employee happiness, enhance employee engagement, and improve employee retention.
The more we examine the benefits of spending working hours outdoors, the more we realize, the more we see the positives of spending time outside – greater productivity, greater focus, improved creativity, and even better health and wellbeing.
There are many ways to incorporate the outdoors into your workspace. With Urban street furniture , grabbing a quick coffee can enhance that feeling of change and revitalize your teams much faster.
Even if it’s not possible to change your current workspace to include the outdoors, providing simple options can improve working conditions. Things like break areas in shared outdoor spaces or inviting employees to take a walk or sit on bespoke commercial outdoor benches designed to support laptops or mimic hot desks that encourage an opportunity to work outside can make work-life better. Even simply bringing in more outdoor elements such as plants and natural daylight with bespoke planters to breathe life into monotone spaces – have a significant impact on employees’ concentration and focus, creativity, happiness, productivity, and engagement.
Bluestream can help you bring this new age workspace to life or reinvigorate the existing one to prepare for the most significant change of professional life we’ve all seen.
