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In today’s fast-paced work culture, the pursuit of sustainable wellbeing—both personal and planetary—has never been more urgent. As organizations rethink how they support their teams, thematic events like Outdoor Office Day, mental health awareness initiatives, and Earth Day swap events offer powerful opportunities to reconnect with nature, nurture psychological resilience, and reduce environmental impact. These moments are more than symbolic—they’re strategic. By stepping outside, swapping goods instead of buying new, and prioritizing mental health, we create a culture where wellbeing is not just a perk, but a shared responsibility. This blog explores how these three events can work together to foster a healthier, more sustainable workplace for people and the planet.
On June 12th, Lithuania joined the international Outdoor Office Day for the first time, inspired by a movement that began in the Netherlands in 2015. The initiative encourages people to take their work outdoors, reconnect with nature, and rethink how working habits affect personal well-being, creativity, and planetary health.
At Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), the Institute of Environmental Engineering invited students, researchers and staff to bring their laptops and discussions outside. Classrooms and meeting rooms were replaced by courtyards, parks, and green spaces. The message was simple: close the doors and open yourself to nature.
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Why working outdoors matters
Today’s “indoor generation” spends about 90% of life indoors – in offices, homes, transport or schools. Indoor air often contains chemical substances released by furniture, electronics and textiles, intensified by heating and ventilation systems. This exposure may cause allergies, headaches, insomnia, fatigue and other health issues. Combined with a sedentary lifestyle – 45% of EU citizens never exercise – the result is burnout, lower creativity and a disconnection from the natural world.
Outdoor Office Day addresses this challenge. Stepping outside reduces stress, improves concentration and stimulates creativity. Natural light, fresh air and movement are simple yet powerful contributors to health and productivity.
Voices from the community
“Outdoor Office Day is not just about leaving the office,” says Sandra Galdikaitė, KTU alumna and the first coordinator of the initiative in Lithuania. “It’s about changing work culture, asking how we feel spending the entire day between four walls, and rediscovering our connection with nature during working hours.”
Sandra brought the idea to Lithuania after meeting Ioana Biris, the Dutch medical doctor and social psychologist who launched the initiative in Rotterdam. What began as a small experiment has grown into a pan-European movement, inspiring institutions, municipalities and universities.
As Assoc. Prof. Inga Gurauskienė, KTU Institute of Environmental Engineering, emphasizes:
“Changing the environment changes our mindset. Being outside helps us relax, focus better, and be more creative. It’s a simple practice with a profound impact – on personal health, team spirit, and our responsibility towards the environment.”
Practical steps for outdoor work
The initiative encourages practical activities such as:
- “Walk & talk” meetings in nearby parks.
- Brainstorming workshops outdoors.
- Coffee or lunch breaks in the fresh air.
- Online calls in public green areas, showing the city instead of office walls.
Even small steps – like choosing a different walking route or taking calls outside – help reconnect daily routines with nature.
From personal to planetary well-being
This initiative also reflects the Erasmus+ project Sustainable Well-being – Education for Personal, Professional and Planetary Well-being (SWEPPP), led in Lithuania by KTU. The project highlights that well-being is holistic: personal, professional, and planetary health are interconnected, and meaningful action in one area positively influences the others.
Outdoor activities that combine personal well-being with environmental action are already a strong tradition in Lithuania. The nationwide “Darom” clean-up events, bringing together thousands of volunteers every year, encourage people to spend meaningful time outdoors while taking care of forests, riversides and urban green spaces. These activities illustrate how being outside can simultaneously improve health, strengthen communities, and directly contribute to environmental well-being.
By encouraging its community to work outdoors, KTU not only promoted individual health and creativity but also emphasized sustainable cities, ecological awareness, and restoring natural ecosystems. Even simple actions such as uncut meadows, planting trees or creating outdoor workplaces can contribute to healthier and more resilient environments.
Outdoor office and nature-based learning
Integration of nature brings many opportunities for wellbeing and reconnecting the nature.
Overview of the practices:
It has disclosed as well many challenges which can be grouped to the following factors: culture and procedures of work-study activities, the infrastructure and weather conditions, willingness to integrate novel models of work activities. The initial outdoor office day has been in time of the session; therefore, the students have not been very active this time. However, based on the scientific research results and practical experience, the nature-based learning is getting more and more relevant in our days. More practices of outdoor integration could be identified in the primary and secondary schools or education institution providing the study programs in environmental or agriculture, forestry field. However, there is a need to integrate NBE for engineering and technological sciences, as it provides the holistic approach and specific mechanisms which exist in nature. Regenerative development provokes the engineers and decision makers to base their decisions on nature laws and mechanisms which are long lasting and incorporate different aspects of nature.
Therefore, the students have been encouraged to join when analyzing the topic in their course works on the spring semester. There are plans for the new academic year to have at least one outdoor office/education day per month in order to encourage outdoor practices and to make it habit instead of occasional ones.
The master students start to develop challenge-based learning designing the outdoor furniture or other infrastructure relevant for being and working outdoors. …
A movement for the future
Lithuania’s first Outdoor Office Day showed that even modest changes in work culture can have a big impact. By closing the doors of our offices and opening ourselves to nature, we reclaim balance in our daily lives and take a meaningful step towards sustainable well-being – for ourselves, our communities and the planet.
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On October 10, to mark World Mental Health Day, the team of the Kaunas University of Technology Institute of Environmental Engineering (APINI) joined the national initiative “Green Light for Life”, symbolically stopping for a short “green break”. During this break, APINI employees analyzed the topics of personal, professional and environmental well-being, based on the Sustainable Wellbeing Guide developed during the SWEPPP project. This guide provides specific ways to maintain emotional balance, strengthen work-life balance and develop resilience, while not separating personal well-being from environmental factors. The institute's employees shared insights into what helps them feel good at work and beyond, discussed habits that can help them better manage stress, and tried out some simple but effective recommendations from the guide – from breathing exercises to environmental order and awareness of the importance of breaks. The institute's spaces were dominated by green that day – not only in the details of employees' clothing, but also in the refreshments: matcha tea was tasted, greenery was shared, and a good mood was in order. The green color was not chosen by chance – it symbolizes hope, renewal, openness, and support. The campaign “Green Light for Life”, initiated by “Youth Lines”, has been running in Lithuania for the fifth year. This year's slogan – #Let'sEmphasizeEmotions – invites the public to talk more openly about their emotions, reduce the stigmatization of mental health, and create communities where empathy, respect, and support prevail. Such symbolic initiatives are a great opportunity not only to step back from daily work, but also to strengthen team bonds, promote open communication, and remember that emotional health is each of our responsibility.
Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) observes International Earth Day through various events, such as hosting sustainability-focused talks, interactive discussions, and a swap event to reduce consumption. Recent activities include a forum on human-environment relations in April 2025 and a swap event in March 2025 to encourage the exchange of pre-owned items like clothes, books, and toys.
When we bring wellbeing into the open—literally and figuratively—we unlock new possibilities for growth, connection, and sustainability. Outdoor Office Day reminds us that fresh air and natural light are productivity tools. Mental health initiatives validate the emotional landscape of work, making space for empathy and support. Earth Day swap events challenge our consumption habits and promote circular thinking. Together, these experiences form a holistic approach to wellbeing that benefits employees and the environment alike.
Importantly, these events and initiatives are not just occasional activities—they reflect a deeper, ongoing commitment by the organization. Behind them stands a dedicated department or team responsible for employee wellbeing, ensuring that care, sustainability, and engagement are woven into the fabric of everyday work life. This structured approach transforms good intentions into lasting impact, making sustainable wellbeing a shared and strategic priority.
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Image Source: KTU Picture Bank
Authors: Inga Gurauskienė, Edvardas Baltuška, Kaunas University of Technology
Publication Date: 06.11.2025
DISCLAIMER:
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Fundacja Rozwoju Systemu Edukacji (FRSE). Neither the European Union nor FRSE can be held responsible for them.
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