Beyond the office walls

Student: Mistral Govers

Partner: Workplace Vitality Hub

Coach: Frank Bauman

Inspiring outdoor work for juniors from the Workplace Vitality Hub

We spend most of our day indoors and rarely go outside. This is especially true for office workers who spend their entire day inside the office, often with little to no exposure to sunlight. A lack of sunlight can negatively affect mood, performance, and sleep quality. Over time, this can impact the mental health of office workers and increase the risk of depression.

Despite these risk, many office workers avoid going outside duo to various reasons. 

Bad weather and fear of getting distracted keep them indoors. Additionally, social and professional barriers play a role—many hesitate because no one else does it, they find it difficult to collaborate with colleagues outside, or they simply don’t want to sit outside alone. A busy schedule and lack of time further discourage them from stepping outside.

Research focus:

This study explores how junior office workers can be encouraged to go outside during the workday by focusing on the social norms that prevail in office environments.