Five ways garden offices can boost mental wellbeing
With remote working looking to stay for the near future, our home offices are the beating heart of our work day. As such, it’s important for these offices to help us differentiate work from home. The commute is gone, and for some of us, the laptop we use for work is also the same one which we use as we put our feet up and watch the latest episode of Bridgerton on Netflix.
Recent stats have shown that more and more home workers are retreating to the garden, transforming their outdoor bike and storage sheds into a vibrant work space.
Of course space is a luxury. When we were first forced to work from home, many of us found the most short-term solution for our home working needs. But now that hybrid working - a mix of office and home working- looks to be the future, it may be worth thinking about the wider factors of where you’re working, and if you would be more productive, or feel better, dedicating a specific area for your office. For those lucky enough to have a garden or even a garage, an office outside can help reduce the feelings of burnout. There is plenty of evidence that gardening boosts the happy chemical - serotonin, with the NHS even prescribing gardening courses.
With a recent study finding that 37% of millennial and Gen Z workers are struggling to maintain a work-life balance, what benefits can a garden office bring to bridge those boundaries?
1 - Restarting the commute
Some of us like them, some of us hate them. But the lack of separation between our work and personal life is causing increasing burnout, according to a report by Microsoft. When we don’t even have our daily walk or drive of uninterrupted time to get to work, we may save money but we lose that important block in between leaving home and starting work. This is the same at the end of the day - which has led more people to work late as they struggle to switch off.
If you have a garden office, you might not have a long way to go (depending on the size of your garden!), but you’re making yourself physically step out of your house to start work. As a result, you’re not extending your living room or spare room, which you’re likely to stay in after 5pm comes around, making it harder to switch off. This is your own bit of space, peace and tranquility, away from the distractions of family life.
2 - Looking at more nature, less social media
Garden offices which are filled with skylights and windows allow the daylight in, which will go one step further than your natural look over the city skyline.
We all get distracted at work from time to time, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s actively encouraged by many to take time to look away from your screen, as people with windows in their offices have better energy and better quality sleep at night.
Karen Brooks, Owner at Hampshire-based PR firm Esprit Media, recently built her own office after being fed up with the commute to London. “Living in the countryside, I regularly see foxes and deers pass by the woodlands - I absolutely love it. At home, I’d get distracted and start doing chores like the laundry and washing up, but in this garden office I love having the distinction between work and life.”
And even if you live in suburbia, you’d be surprised at how much your mood can lift just by seeing the local nature. One study found watching birds through a window has been shown to improve mood and alleviate anxiety.
3 - It’s a great place for the kids to escape to
At the moment, it can feel frustrating for parents to know how to keep their children busy and prevent restlessness. For Karen, that was also the case. At the time in question of this being written, the rule of 6 was still underway in Hampshire, and she was looking after her daughter and her daughter’s friends, using the garden office as a means of a day out.
“It turned into a form of daycare, and felt like a nursery, the office is amazingly adaptable. The kids clubs aren’t open, and for single parents, they can still form child support bubbles. Having this office at home has been a life saver, and we’ve been painting on the floor and doing other crafts, like you would at daycare.
“It’s a serious work space, but it’s also a fantastic place for multi-tasking.”
4 - You can decorate an entire building, not just your desk
We can go a bit stir crazy, looking at the same desk and wall every day. But, when it comes to having your own garden office, you can plant flowers ready for when spring comes and reap the benefits of plant therapy. The Esprit office has bay trees outside of its doors, but you could even spruce it up for Christmas.
Decorating, DIY and crafts can also alleviate anxiety, and building your garden office could help with this. Whether you choose to go with a shipping container or build your own shed, having a DIY project task can substantially relieve stress and keep you from overthinking about the unknown.
5 - It adds value to your home
Thinking of selling in the future? Your outdoor garden office could add substantial value to your home. Karen has already said that estate agents have told her that the proper, functioning separate office will add extra value as a selling point
Buyers are always looking for extra floor space, and other business owners or remote working professionals looking to move will always stop and take note at your office.
…And don’t worry about getting cold
It’s easy to install insulated walls and double-glazed windows to prevent you from shivering during the winter months and fleeing back to your living room. On top of this, electric heaters are one of the most widely used options as they’re quick heaters that are free standing and can be quickly turned off if the weather brightens up. You could also consider underfloor heating as a secondary heat source to free up any space.
Outdoor offices can look like a tardis - their appearance is deceiving, sometimes giving the viewer the impression that they’re smaller than they are. But, you’d be surprised just how much you can fit in a garden office, and how much your mental health could benefit from the move. With greater freedom comes greater creativity - a garden office could be the perfect opportunity to support mental health during the 2020 winter.
