Applying Restorative Environments in the Home Office While Sheltering-in-Place

Area of Science:

• Environmental psychology
• Restorative environment research

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic necessitated shelter-in-place and telework, potentially causing social isolation and reduced performance.
• Nature environments demonstrably improve attention, affect, and job satisfaction, benefits transferable to home workspaces.

Approach:

• This review synthesizes environmental psychology literature on nature's impact on task performance and stress.
• It explores practical applications of restorative environments for teleworkers during the pandemic.

Key Points:

• Simple, cost-effective methods can mitigate negative psychological effects of remote work.
• Incorporating nature into the home workspace and taking nature breaks are recommended strategies.

Conclusions:

• Applying restorative environment research can effectively combat negative psychological impacts of at-home work.
• Nature-based interventions offer a viable solution for enhancing teleworker well-being and productivity.