Nature Inspiring Health & Wellbeing at the office

schedule 3 min

Nature Inspiring Health & Wellbeing at the office

The future of flexible work continues to evolve, and the pandemic has brought a renewed awareness and appreciation for the positive impact outdoors and physical activity play in improving health and enhancing wellbeing.

Researchers suggest humans have an innate need to connect with nature - this is called Biophilia. But as housing density, commute times, and office hours increase, people tend to spend less time in natural environments.
Biophilic workspaces provide people opportunities for restoration, privacy and retreat from noise and studies shown that just being able to see nature is a big increase in worker’s moods.

Employee wellbeing was the 3rd highest strategic issue identified by almost 400 global businesses in 2021. Creating happy and healthy office spaces is a strategy for many companies to attract and retain talented employees, reduce absenteeism, and create an environment with higher effectiveness rates.

Companies that have implemented workplace solutions which offer employees flexibility in choice and increased access to nature have reported positive outcomes among employees. Natural office furniture, wood, and comfortable outdoor spaces are just a few design features that have contributed to improved wellbeing and health at the workplace.

In the future, natural products will continue to appear in many office settings. More and more companies will create spaces for employees to live a healthy lifestyle to help them feel less stressed out at work and with a sense of ease. Other practices include implementing new experiences that offer relaxation, meditation, and healthy food options to meet everyone’s needs.

Products that come from more sustainable sources, Nature’s noble materials and Production processes with less impact on the planet are generating a growing demand on the consumer’s side. Companies will focus on aspects of the natural world that contribute to human health and productivity as there will be a growing demand to affiliate with nature in the modern office environment.

Biophilic design is a way to connect with Nature and contributes to the overall health and productivity of teams. Creating informal spaces or conferences, thanks to easily modular furniture, height-adjustable furniture and, cosy options, such as bean bags and sofas helps unleash creativity.

Hand in hand with biophilic spaces goes the circular economy and up-cycling trend.
In today's society, people need to get to the root of our problems as a society and work with resources responsibly. There's a need to live in harmony with our finite earth and the more we waste, the more we lose. A circular economy acknowledges that everything is connected and that slowing down our consumption will help us conserve what we have.

Long-lasting and reusable products should also be a focus for companies. Selecting tools with a reduced environmental footprint and better for the planet, is just as important as connecting with Nature’s resources.
Part of Bi-Office’s Earth collection, the Earth Kyoto Easel is designed to be reused and repurposed as much as possible. Its recycled parts are detachable, so they can easily be replaced or fixed if damaged.

By not squandering resources, we are taking an important step in reducing our environmental footprint and being better stewards of the planet. Join the movement for a greener future.