Testing the feasibility of 30 min of daily outdoor office work for stress management: A pilot study

BackgroundPerceived stress in the workplace is a growing concern, with modern office environments often contributing through noise, crowding, and lack of privacy. To support office workers' well-being and recovery during the workday, new ways of working-such as spending time outdoors-are being explored.ObjectiveThis explorative pilot study aims to investigate whether engaging in at least 30 min of outdoor office work each day for five consecutive working days could reduce self-rated stress levels among office workers.MethodsA within-subjects design was employed. During the first week, eight participants followed their regular office routine. In the second week, the same participants were instructed to spend a minimum of 30 min each day performing office work outdoors.ResultsIn the second week, participants worked outdoors for an average of 322 min per week (≈64 min/day), primarily in urban nature settings. Self-rated stress levels were 15% lower than in the first week, a statistically significant reduction by paired-sample t-test, though not by the Wilcoxon test.ConclusionsDaily outdoor work is feasible among office workers and may reduce self-rated stress levels, warranting larger studies with more diverse participants and environments.