How spending time in nature helps our mental health and work-life balance

With National Work-Life Balance week and World Mental Health Day coming up this month, we wanted to take the opportunity to talk about the profound positive effects that being in nature can have on our mental health and our wellbeing at work.

According to MIND, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England, and on average, 4.3 days per worker are lost due to sick leave associated with mental health issues.

Research has shown that spending time in nature does wonders for our mental and physical wellbeing - which, in turn, helps us to feel and perform better when we’re at work. Spending time in green spaces helps to reduce stress and other mental health conditions by reducing our blood pressure and stress hormones, lowering anxiety, and boosting our immune system and self-esteem. Indeed, research carried out by Public Health found that visits to green spaces of 30 minutes or more during the course of a week could help reduce the prevalence of depression by 7%.

In fact, any sense of connection to the natural world is better than none - the UK Green Building Council’s report ‘Nature-based Solutions for the Climate Emergency: The benefits to business and society’ found that employees with views of trees and landscapes took 23% less sick leave than those without. When booking an event or conference, event planners should try to consider the wider outdoor environment as well as the indoor facilities available at their chosen venue.

Employers looking to boost the productivity and wellness of their workforce should note that spending time in nature also helps people to focus better and strengthens their memory – making the great outdoors an ideal environment for high-profile corporate events and team away days when attendees need to reconnect, recharge and reset.

Center Parcs are proud to offer conferences and events in a beautiful, natural forest environment. Attendees can enjoy stunning views over the treetops at Woburn Forest, or overlooking the lake and woodland at Sherwood Forest. You can build a bespoke event package including team building activities in the forest, and allow downtime for attendees to explore the woodland on foot or by cycle, spotting wildlife and simply enjoying the beautiful surroundings.