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Monday, August 22, 2005
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VOLUME 2
ISSUE 73
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August WorldWIT Website Columns
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The Nature of Business
by Ellen Britt
Remember the last time you took a vacation? Where did you go?
Chances are, you traveled to someplace beautiful. Maybe you rented a house on the beach and spent your days wandering the edge of the surf, looking for shells. Or maybe you drove to the mountains, reveling in the cool, pine-scented air, gently guiding your canoe over a still lake at day's end. You had a great time, right?
But then, almost before you knew it, your vacation was over and you returned to work.
Sure, you felt better for a little while, and the memories of that vacation are great. But after only one day back at work, or at the most two, you were probably mired to your elbows in the same old stuff. Too much to do and too little time to do it, a micro-managing boss, resentment over being passed over for a promotion, or some variation thereof.
Wouldn't it be great to be able to take that wonderful relaxed feeling you had on vacation back to the office with you?
Numerous scientific studies show the benefits of getting out into nature, everything from getting a boost to your immune system to increasing your ability to attend to tedious tasks. The good news is that you don't have to wait for that once or twice a year vacation to take advantage of all the benefits that nature has to offer.
Here's a list of 10 simple things you can do to get nature working for you, without planning an expensive trip to the mountains of Jackson Hole or the lush greenery of Costa Rica:
1. Expose your face (without make-up or sunscreen) to five minutes of sunshine every morning before work. Studies show that just five minutes of natural light in the morning can improve your mood for the entire day. So take that steaming cup of coffee or tea out to the deck or balcony before you get ready for work. An improved mood can translate into more productivity and better relationships with co-workers.
2. Make tomorrow Bring a Plant to Work Day! And make that a natural plant, not plastic, please. Plants give off healthful oxygen, as well as absorb many of the toxins found in workplace air. Green plants give you a great psychological boost as well. Studies show that people who work in offices with plants are more productive and experience less stress than those people who work in an environment without plants.
3. Brown bag it! At least once a week, bring your lunch and take it off site to a park or other natural area in your city. Perhaps your town has a botanical garden or aquarium where you can go if the weather is inclement. Some upscale malls, with their skylights and lush greenery, can also provide relaxing natural spaces to eat lunch.
4. Picture this! Even photographs of nature have been shown to have many of the restorative effects of actually being outside. Good choices are beautiful natural landscape scenes, with green vegetation and a view of clear water.
5. Go with the flow. Consider bringing in a small ornamental water fountain for your office or desk. The sound of flowing water is soothing to many people.
6. Be a flower child. Keeping fresh flowers on your desk reduces mental fatigue and brings aesthetic pleasure to you and to anyone who enters your office or work area.
7. Imagine that! Just as pictures of nature bring us pleasure and sensations of well being, taking a minute or two to just close your eyes and remember a favorite natural place can work wonders. Use all your senses; the fragrance in the air, the way the sun feels on your skin, the view of the water or mountains, the touch of sand on your bare feet, to really re-live the experience.
8. Buck for that office with the window. Studies at the University of Michigan show that workers who had a view of nature from their desks were more enthusiastic, felt more satisfaction with their lives and had better overall health than workers who did not have such a view.
9. Get creative! Encourage your employer to enhance the entire workplace with flowers and plants. Research shows that workplace environments rich in flowers and plants improve employees' idea generation and enhance their creative performance as well as their problem-solving skills. Interestingly, women generated more flexible, creative solutions when both flowers and plants were present and men generated more creative ideas in green settings.
10. Pay more attention to your computer. To your computer screen that is. There are many lovely screensavers that present an ever-changing array of beautiful and relaxing nature photographs. Or take a few minutes to view a nature based Flash movie, such as Lessons from Water at http://www.LessonsfromWater.com
Ellen Britt, PA, Ed.D. is a coach and trainer in the Atlanta, Georgia area. She specializes in assisting individuals and companies in increasing their stress resiliency. Ellen is the executive producer of the relaxing and beautiful Flash presentation, Lessons from Water http://www.LessonsfromWater.com
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
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Copyright © 2005 WorldWIT, Inc.. All rights reserved.
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