A dose of nature could enhance your work performance
You could try Xanax to restore your professional calm, but what about stepping outside instead?
Nature deficit disorder is the new term for what ails many of us, connected 24/7 to the digital world. Apparently even the most well-adjusted executive could benefit from a dose of nature, as researchers say it can decrease levels of anxiety and depression and even the risk of heart disease, as well as enhance workplace performance.
A study by the European Society of Cardiology found that a brisk walk outdoors daily for 25 minutes could help repair DNA, reduce the risk of diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, and boost cognition; while a British study developed by The Wildlife Trust concluded that connecting to nature is as important for wellbeing as income and education.
Just the tonic: a dose of nature at Eden Health Retreat in Queensland. Clare Plumer
Perhaps the largest study so far, involving 290 million people internationally, showed those who had more exposure to nature were more likely to be in good overall health. It was presented in July last year by researchers from the UK's University of East Anglia.
Ecotherapy
There are now at least 150 medical programs in the United States under which doctors recommend local parks for anxious, obese, depressed or diabetic patients – a treatment referred to as "ecotherapy", according to the Global Wellness Summit's 2019 Wellness Trends.
Doctors in Shetland, Scotland, meanwhile, were authorised in October by the regional division of the National Health Service to issue "nature prescriptions" as a complementary way of managing anxiety, heart disease and chronic conditions. Suggestions to patients include observing the clouds, planting a tree, bird watching and going camping in the wild.
Tonya Coren, a GP at Cape Byron Medical Centre in northern NSW, says many health professionals urge patients to include outdoor activities, from whale watching to walks in nature, in their routines.
"I see many people who have moved to our coastal area from Sydney or Melbourne for a health change involving proximity to nature and who feel lighter and more positive about life. That's what a green script is all about."
And, while you don't have to rush out and hug a tree, adding a little "forest bathing" or shinrin yoku to your green prescription, like the Japanese, could boost your immunity, thanks to compounds with antibacterial properties released by many trees.
Increased exposure to the outdoors is "what a green script is all about", says Byron Bay GP Tonya Coren. Kate Holmes
Greendesking
In Australia, Beyond Blue and Deakin University reported nine years ago in The benefits of contact with nature for mental health and wellbeing that a green view at work was a micro-restorative that could reduce stress and improve levels of comfort.
"Our research suggests that 'green booster breaks' might help workers regain energy to perform and to feel better at work," says Kate Lee, a research fellow in the National Environmental Science Program at the University of Melbourne. "Many organisations now include greenery in and around their buildings in an effort to better support their workers."
At Medibank's office at 720 Bourke Street in Melbourne, more than 2300 plants filter pollution, and about 10 per cent of the building's facade is covered in native plants. Just months after moving in, four in five staff reported they were working more collaboratively and nearly two-thirds said they felt healthier, the company says.
If peace lilies, philodendron and dracaena aren't in your operational zone, there are other ways to incorporate a green fix in your work schedule. Get your mid-morning espresso at café with a (green) view or go out into the garden once you leave the office.
Medibank's Bourke Street building in Melbourne is green inside and out. Supplied
Other ways to go green
Exercise outdoors rather than in a gym. There's always outdoor boot camp, but why ruin the view when you can get a green fix at a leisurely pace with, say, a stroll along the waterfront promenade of Sydney's Barangaroo Reserve or in the 198 hectares of the city's Centennial Parklands.
Jardin Tan is one of Melbourne's most popular running destinations, winding through Kings Domain and the Botanic Gardens, while Albert Park Lake is close to the city yet retains a natural tranquility.
In Brisbane, the new Summit Circuit at Mount Coot-tha has plenty of scenic interludes, while the Lookout offers panoramic views of Brisbane City, Moreton Bay and around to the Tweed Volcano, Mount Barney and Flinders Peak.
If it's a serious green experience you're after, consider a spa or retreat where communing with nature is part of the program.
At Arkaba, in the Flinders Ranges, the 24,000-hectare property allows guests to take in massive wildlife vistas while, at Eden Health Retreat in Queensland, spending time outdoors on bushwalks, meditations, or in the rainforest is a big part of the program, says manager Chris van Hoof.
Importantly, he says, health experts encourage guests to find their own green space when they return home to continue to experience the physiological and psychological benefits.