Forest breaks improve employees’ health and attitudes towards work

Industrialisation has rapidly transformed human environments, delivering significant benefits but also introducing urban stressors – such as air pollution, noise and light – that compromise health. In the 21 st century, urban populations experience high levels of chronic stress and related health issues, with urban office workers being particularly vulnerable. The combination of sedentary, high-pressure work in urban settings not only undermines employee wellbeing but also impairs organisational performance through stress-related reductions in motivation, burnout and absenteeism. While the stress-reducing benefits of nature exposure are established, the present study extends current understanding by simultaneously assessing psychological, physiological and immunological outcomes alongside indicators of organisational productivity in urban office workers. The intervention – a 45-minute guided lunchtime forest exposure in Zurich, Switzerland – was designed to be feasible within a standard lunch break in a city-centre setting, providing a real-world, ecologically valid evaluation of nature exposure. Compared to a city control condition, the forest visit improved mood, mucosal immune function and indicated enhanced attitudes toward work, with some evidence of reduced psychophysiological stress. Uniquely, this study combined a broad range of biomarkers of physical and psychological health with indicators of organisational productivity in an ecologically valid design. The intervention was feasible within a standard lunchbreak and reflective of real-world workplace constraints – brief and conducted in a natural setting near the city centre – demonstrating real-world practical applicability for workplace health and productivity promotion. ● Office workers face stress from urban, sedentary, high-pressure jobs. ● Nature exposure reduces stress, supporting mental and physical health. ● Workers joined 45-min forest and city (control) lunch visits. ● Forest visits improved mood, immune function and work attitudes. ● Findings show brief nature exposure benefits employee wellbeing.