outdoor park benches Research shows sitting on outdoor park benches for a few minutes can recharge worker

Is it possible that adding outdoor park benches near an office building can help workers become more productive? A bunch of scientists think so. And they have the research to back it up.

In a rather simple experiment, 150 college students were asked to participate in a Sustained Attention to Response Task. All they had to do was sit at a computer and watch numbers from 1 to 9 flash on the screen. They were instructed to hit a key on the keyboard for each number fired rapidly at them, unless the number was a 3.

Simple right? But not so easy. Clicking the keys furiously to keep up and then making sure not to hit the wrong key for one particular digit can become difficult and exhausting. (The whole idea behind the test is to monitor the ability to focus and pay attention).

Researchers wanted to test the effect of a "microbreak" on the students. For just 40 seconds, they gave the subjects a break from the SART assignment. During the break, project administrators showed an image of a plain concrete roof and a "garden" roof covered with grass and flowers.

Just 40 seconds. But even for that short period of time, when the students returned to the task, those who viewed the green roof actually outperformed the students who did not. They made fewer mistakes. Had better sustained attention. They even commented about how they felt better after looking at the greenery.

Amazing right? Think of the implications. Companies can make it a policy to allow employees to get outside during their break time, even for just a few minutes. Make sure they are able to immerse themselves in a green environment - under a tree, surrounded by flowers or standing on a grassy lawn under a wide open sky.

Provide sturdy, weather-resistant commercial benches for them where they can sit and relax and soak in the surroundings.

There's even a theory called the "Biophilia Hypothesis" that says humans have a biological need to hang out in nature and connect with other forms of life. "Philias" are the opposite of "phobias." With philias, human are attracted, not repelled, to something and in this case, other living things like plants and animals.

Makes sense. During cave man times, humans were surrounded by nature and to survive they had to be in tune with all living things at all times. Today, while we work in towering office buildings, drive there in metal cars and hide away in our concrete homes, we still depend on nature. That's why we feel a need to care for house plants, lawns and pets. We're still all inhabitants of the same planet and it's certainly not in our best interest to ignore or harm our natural surroundings.

Create an employee charging station outside with outdoor park benches and lots of trees

As we can see from the study, sitting in a cubicle all day is not enough. The more we connect with other living things, the better we feel…and the more productive we become. So stick some outdoor park benches and gardens anywhere people gather. Not just office buildings but schools, universities, stores, wherever. Give them a few minutes to chill out with the plant life.

(Unfortunately, it's also human nature to litter if trash receptacles are not handy. So wherever you place outdoor park benches, be sure to include commercial trash cans and smoking urns).

Even if workers are stuck in the middle of an urban environment, there's a solution. That's the green roofs the scientists used in their study. They're catching on. In fact, in France, it is now the law that any new commercial building must either have greenery or solar panels on the roof.

Think of a place like NYC for example. Imagine if all the roofs were covered in grass. Every time someone stared out their window for a minute, they could get recharged by that lawn down below. Or, if they were in a lower building, they could run up to the roof for some sunshine and fresh air.

Green roofs are energy-efficient as well. They keep a roof from heating up. Also, plants clean the air when they inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. Sort of like the way clams filter and clean bay water. Think of how an array of green roofs in any urban area would cool things down and freshen up the atmosphere.

We have a feeling you will soon see more garden roof tops out there. Because now they effect the bottom line. And hopefully, we will see more greener places outside office buildings so employees can sit on their outdoor park benches, interact with Mother Nature and refocus. It's not just a good eco-idea, it's a smart business idea as well.

To read the research on the effects of green microbreaks, click here.

For outdoor park benches of all types - concrete, metal, aluminum, recycled plastic or wood, visit The Park Catalog.