Google calendar reminder: go touch grass today.

As summer finally makes its entrance and we bid farewell to the cold, freezing days, there’s something about answering emails under a tree. Pings from a Teams chat and quacks from the ducks are a remix I never thought I’d be hearing, but here we are. 

The same tasks that feel exhausting in your room suddenly feel lighter when surrounded by sunlight and fresh air. So I decided to test it out for myself: one full day of being out of my comfort zone, whether it was for work or leisure.

Here’s my experience and hopefully it convinces you to try it too.

I started my morning at Artemis Café

I packed my laptop, headphones, charger and a notebook into my tote bag and headed to Artemis Café right as my work day started. The café looked exactly the type of place where people write novels, or at least pretend to. 

Naturally, I ordered a matcha latte on the menu because my productivity is dependent on the energy drink I choose for that day. The second I sat down, I became a changed person. At home, opening my laptop is a major task itself, but here my TikTok screentime went down, Spotify somehow played the perfect mix after I picked the first song and staring into space actually meant something.  

Going into the day, I assumed I’d be more distracted with everything happening around me, but I was wrong. There was something oddly calming about strangers typing silently around you that made you lock in to your work. 

I was crossing off tasks at lightning speed. Maybe it was the lack of a bed nearby or just my playlist that romanticized the work. 

But I can say one thing for sure, I felt like a corporate intern in a movie montage. No complaints.

My “Quick break” at the lake

After working for a few hours, I decided to take my break with a walk to the lake because I’m the type of person who takes “mindful lakeside walks” now. 

The weather? Perfect. Flowers were blooming, birds were chirping, people were playing musical instruments nearby, and I think I’m ready to debut as Snow White. 

For the first five minutes, I genuinely felt healed. I sat near the water and journaled. I also started to doodle on the photos I took during my walk. 

At one point, I stared dramatically into the water as if it was finally my call (maybe debuting as Moana would be better). I felt as if I was in a coming-of-age film discovering “the meaning of life,” but really I was just wondering if I replied to the email with “please find the attached file” or “please find the attacked files.”

But on a serious note, being outside near the lake made my brain work differently. I wasn’t panicking about any of my very manageable tasks; I was slowing down and thinking through everything that I was doing. I spent way less time on my phone and felt super productive for the entire day.

Changes I saw in myself 

This may sound fake, but being outdoors near the lake actually stopped me from doomscrolling every six seconds. At home, the one pile of laundry would constantly be judging me. But outside, I had less temptation to disappear into social media because there was actual life happening around me. 

It made me realize that sometimes burnout isn’t even about the workload. Sometimes your brain is just tired of looking at the same ceiling every day.

I ended the day playing badminton

After work, I met up with friends for badminton because a productive day also includes physical activity.

Unlike my usual “I’ll just go for fun,” energy, I actually locked in. Suddenly, I was smashing shots as if my ancestors had personally trained me for this moment. One second, I was peacefully working at a café, and the next, I was doing full-court runs like a national title was on the line.

Usually, after sitting all day indoors, my energy levels resemble a phone with one percent battery. But because I spent the day out of the office and outside moving around, getting sunlight, and breathing air that didn’t come from my bedroom fan, I still felt energized.

Final thoughts

Working in a different environment other than home or office for a day made me realize how much the environment affects productivity. Being stuck in the same room 24/7 can make even easy tasks feel painful.

Changing locations made the day feel less repetitive and less rushed. I finished my day feeling less burnt out, got some fresh air, and had a genuinely good day.

So the next time you get an opportunity to work somewhere new for a day, do it.

Photo by Irena Carpaccio on Unsplash

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