Get Out! Micro Green Breaks Make You More Productive

While we all implicitly know that nature is good for our well-being, a study has found that exposure to the color green for a 40 second increment after 5 minutes of work drastically helps improve mental clarity when returning to the task at hand.

Researchers in Australia gave 150 participants the task of hitting specific keystrokes in response to a pattern provided on the computer. Every 40 seconds, half of the group was shown a picture of green space with trees and the other half of respondents were shown a picture of an all grey concrete environment.

The respondents who were shown green, showed a 6% increase in concentration when returning to their task the remained consistent through completion.  On the other hand, those exposed to the photo of concrete, experienced an 8% reduction in concentration and inconsistent performance for the remainder of the task.

Beyond the benefits of being more productive in daily work, recharging in green spaces makes us more aware of self-care and therefore able to contribute and give more in everything we do.

With longer days and warmer nights, it’s easier to get more green time in, but try including house plants and green elements in both your working and living spaces to offer a year round boost to your mental clarity and general well-being. 

Link to HBR report on study:

https://hbr.org/2015/09/gazing-at-nature-makes-you-more-productive

 Additional Information:

http://elitedaily.com/wellness/being-outdoors-mental-clarity/1520075/?utm_source=wellgood&utm_medium=tr&utm_campaign=p10k80