4 Outdoor Activities That Boost Employee Motivation and Productivity

Summer is finally arriving, and weather in some of the more northern parts of the U.S. is beginning to act like it, too.

On the work side of things, studies show that changing your environment can actually make you a much more productive worker. In fact, some of the most productive business people in the world tout the benefits of consistently changing your working environment.

So, this summer, keep employee motivation up by getting out of the office and into that beautiful weather. Below you’ll find four low-cost ways to enjoy the outdoors while maximizing company productivity.

Take a Coffee Shop Trip

Summer often doesn’t just mean pleasant weather. It also means scorching hot and humid, wetter weather as well. For those days when you need to get out of the office or escape the broken air conditioning, take your team out for some iced coffee –– preferably something local –– and let the smells of freshly ground coffee beans, inspire you and your team toward ultimate productivity.

Offer Summer Fridays

The publishing industry in New York City is known wide and well for their Summer Fridays, on which their workday shortens by a few hours (typically 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.). But startup culture can easily do this as well –– and start it even earlier! Get your employees excited about the better outdoor weather and give them a couple extra hours jumpstart on the weekend to enjoy it.

The one caveat here: yes, all absolutely need-to-be-finished work must be finished in order for Summer Fridays to work. Just give all employees a heads up, though, and it's likely that their productivity during the week will increase in order to take full advantage of the extra time off.

Throw a Company Picnic

Do you have a big event coming up that you need to celebrate? Whether it is a product launch or your company's first birthday, don’t just do the regular trip to a nice restaurant in the area. Instead, schedule a company picnic filled with all the necessary accoutrements, including a picnic basket, ginghnam cloths and eco-friendly, but disposable silverware. Then, head on over to the nearest or prettiest park and enjoy a nice hour to two hour break in the sun and shade.

Be sure to bring a bit of champagne to truly celebrate, as well as items like hula hoops or a frisbee to encourage everyone to exercise their active side.

Go Zen

Take advantage of your current city and the various outdoor activities happening in it. Many cities have outdoor yoga opportunities pop-up around town once the weather gets a bit warmer. These are especially popular around lunch time. Either find an outdoor yoga session to join and encourage your employees to come too, or set up your own. Either way, your posture and health will be better for it, plus studies show that a quick workout around noon boosts productivity throughout the day.