​Under shadeless sky
Light tugs the stems, beckoning
They reach azure heights

Over the course of the past year, a number of people have found themselves needing to work remotely for the first time in their lives.  This kind of change can be jarring to anybody, especially when it happens so suddenly.  On top of not having everything you're used to having while at work, you have to deal with a plethora of new details that were never present while at the office.  Things like the distractions from children learning remotely and dealing with the noise of neighbors if you're living with a community of people.  Things like finding that balance of when to step away from work when the home is your office.  And, of course, having to keep in communication with colleagues through primarily digital means.

One aspect that I've found a surprising number of people talk about, however is less of a new obstacle and more of a new benefit: being more readily near a natural environment.  When most of us think of our home, we aren't thinking about our closed off rooms with grid-system ceiling tiles and white fluorescent lighting.  We typically surround ourselves in windows letting in the natural light and we're often just a few steps from the outdoors.  To that extent, a not insignificant number of people found themselves engaging with their natural surroundings more often.  Myself included!

I'd like to take a look at this aspect of having worked remotely, of being closer to the outdoors.  While statistics I mention throughout this post are from scientific studies and analysis of those studies, a lot of this will be my own experience, so bear that in mind as we press onward.  With that said, let's dive in!

River of petals
Born from bloom, shedding tears of
Silk upon the Earth

Unlimited hues
Broken shells beyond light wells
Reveal a true you

Gazing from beyond
A foreground losing focus
Locks with passer's eye

Walk the giant's stair
From Earth beneath cloudy sky
Seat to stars above