Does Nature Nurture? How Nature (Micro-)Breaks Influence Mood and Snack Food Cravings

Abstract

Taking microbreaks (breaks lasting fewer than 10 min) is an important aspect of maintaining a healthy work routine. To determine whether the type of microbreak matters for improving mood and on subsequent snack preferences, online workers engaged in a standard email work task, followed by a microbreak in which they watched a video of walking through a park, a city, or in our control condition, a Microsoft teams tutorial. After the break, they completed a dietary decision task. Exposure to the nature video improved mood relative to both of the other conditions. Although positive mood was associated with less craving for unhealthy foods relative to healthy foods, the type of microbreak had no effect on food preferences. We also found that frequent use of green spaces was similarly associated with less craving for unhealthy foods relative to healthy foods. These results not only demonstrate the importance of taking breaks during the work day to maximize rejuvenation benefits, but also of providing employees access to natural environments, even in a context as light touch as virtual microbreaks.