How To Squeeze More Outdoors Time Into Your Workday

No matter how much you froth over your job, you can still squeeze a bit more outdoors into your workday. Here’s five ways to make it happen.

 

Unless you’re the perennial van lifer who’s managed to make a living from the road, most of us end up getting a job in one of Australia’s bigger cities. And you know what? Having a city job can be pretty frickin’ rad. There’s nothing wrong with loving your office job, your store job, your trade or your paper round. If you like what you do, you never work a day in your life anyway right?

1. Tea Or Coffee Outside

Grabbing a coffee on the way to work is bloomin’ lovely, and dropping into a cafe is even better. But how about taking your morning brew stop to the next level?

Instead of calling in at your local, put your bush barista skills to the test by brewing up somewhere natural on the way to work. Parks are the obvious choice for a brew, but alongside a bike path, or beachside, are great options if they’re available.

Your camp coffee setup should slide into your briefcase without any dramas, you can pre-boil your water in the kettle at home to save even more time out there. Even if you grind your own beans on the roadside, your self-made coffo will probably take the same time as queuing up and chatting to the local barista.

The crew from @speedtuckco know how to do a morning brew.

2. Mid-Morning Hammock Nap

If you’re lucky enough to grab half an hour for a mid-morning break, hit your nearest green space and get horizontal. Yeah, you could sit at your desk and scroll through your feed, or you could sling up ya hammock and put your feet up – and probably still scroll your feed, but at least you’re doing it outside!

Nearby parks are the ideal spot for some hammock time, but if you’re desperate, a couple of signposts could do the job. If you’re working in the city, you could even bring the lappy and bosh out a few emails to extend your break.

If you haven’t got time to leave the building, try scoping out the roof or internal courtyard for the essence of the outdoors – failing that, hook up your hammock to a couple of office desks and make yourself comfortable.

3. Camp Cook Your Lunch

Lunchtime rolls around and you usually grab an overpriced sanger or reheat last night’s stir-fry. Don’t get me wrong, these are both great options. But how about heading outside for a nature break and cooking up a storm from scratch, using only your camping gear?

Sure, you might get a few odd looks sitting on the median strip with a gas stove and travel pot in hand; or chopping vegetables on a park bench in the middle of the city. Shrug it off and see what you can rustle up in your lunch hour.

Need inspiration? Here’s a couple of ideas to get you started:

Campfire Big Brekkie

Apple And Cinnamon Pancakes

Indian Style Lentils

4. Slack Off On Your Smoko

Grabbing a bit of exercise during the workday feels a bit like getting an extra scoop on your ice cream – it doesn’t really hurt anyone but leaves you feeling pretty stoked. Sure you could hit the gym during your break, go for a run or take a yoga class. But I think half an hour on the slackline is the perfect workday work out.

Slacklining is a great blend of mental and physical exercise, making it an ideal way to refresh your spirits and forget about work for a while. You only need a slackline and a couple of uprights (remember those trees from your hammock nap?) and can find somewhere to slack off easier than you think. An added bonus is the need to take off your shoes and socks, helping that beautiful natural dirt and grass get up close and personal.

Apparently smiling improves your balance, just ask Tyla.

5. Midweek Campout With A 5-9er

This is the ultimate way to break up your working week, and it feels like a dirty little secret when you rock up to work the next day after a midweek campout. There’s something special about heading out into the wilderness, not even that far from home, and squeezing in a bonus night under the stars, or just a night in the back of your Subie.

You rarely have to travel far to find a camp spot within striking distance of your workplace, just do a bit of prep the night before and you’re ready to rock. No car, no worries, see how far you can get on two feet, two wheels, or on public transport, seriously, this one’s easier than you think.