Let's face it. We're all glued to technology, but if we put our phones down and step away from the computers for a few minutes, it just might be worth it for our work and overall health.
"Green roofs" - urban rooftops covered with grasses, plants and other types of greenery - are becoming increasingly popular around the world, though they are still relatively novel in the United States.
According to a study from the University of Melbourne, images of greenery work better to boost our attention, The Washington Post reported.
Researchers took 150 participants and split them into two groups to look at an assigned view during their "micro-breaks" (40 seconds).
One group was shown a concrete roof, while the others could look out to see a "flowering meadow green roof."
At the end of the study, the "green roof" group made "significantly less errors and demonstrated superior concentration on the second half of the task, compared to those who viewed the concrete roof," according to The Washington Post.
If you don't have a window seat or a view that overlooks any buildings, researchers claimed that simply viewing a pleasant picture of nature can do the trick, as well.
"This study showed us that looking at an image of nature for less than a minute was all it took to help people perform better on our task," said lead researcher Dr. Kate Lee.
Facebook recently installed a massive 9-acre green roof at its office in Menlo Park, Calif.
Green roofs can reduce the retention of heat in urban areas, help to cool down buildings and thereby lower their energy use, and even pull some carbon dioxide from the air and feed it back into plant growth, The Washington Post reported.
Who needs a walk in the park these days, anyway?
