Connecting our Outdoors and Indoors – Getting the benefits of the outdoors at home and work
So far we have discovered that views of nature can helps us,
Feel more positive,
Reduce tension,
Feel more revitalised,
Increase energy, and
Decrease anger and depression.
However, in our increasingly concrete urban jungle, how do we achieve this?
We could all move to the country but that might not be reasonable.
Other option is creating a connection between our indoor and outdoor spaces. In Australia we have become quite good at this with the good olde varanda.
Coulthard explores three main ways to connect the inside with the outside that.
Indoor-Outside Connection
The first one is literally blending the line between the indoors and outdoors. There are several ways of doing this including,
Verandahs,
Extended Canopies,
Sheds,
Gazebos,
Bi-fold/sliding/French doors,
Bay windows/fully glazed wall, or
Outdoor kitchens.
Glimpses and Creating Views
Research has shown that even short glimpses (around 40 seconds) of nature helped with work performance. The researchers of these study call these ‘micro-breaks’.[i]
There are ways to create these microbreaks in our homes and workplaces.
If you have a room with a view, then try and make the most of it by
Turning the sofa toward it, or
Building a window seat.
At work, where we can’t create views and often can’t move furniture, the following can helps,
Indoor planters,
Living walls,
Green partitions, as well as
Roof gardens/living roofs,
Planted parks,
Window boxes, and
Balcony gardens.
Pictures
If these aren’t options, then even looking at pictures of nature can help.
Conclusion
Views of nature can be so good for your health and wellbeing. By blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, incorporating micro-glimpses of nature by maximising existing views and including nature in the workplace and using pictures of nature, we can make the best use of these positive health effects.
[i] Lee, K. E., Williams, K. J., Sargent, L. D., Williams, N. S., & Johnson, K. A. (2015). 40-second green roof views sustain attention: The role of micro-breaks in attention restoration. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 42, 182-189.
Photo by wmaster890/iStock / Getty Images