When Screens Exhaust the Brain: A Conversation on Resetting Modern Work Rhythms

In the last few years, burnout has quietly become one of the defining risks of modern knowledge work.

Recent global surveys show that more than 60% of marketing and communication professionals report symptoms of chronic stress or burnout, and C-suite leaders increasingly name mental overload as a hidden productivity drain. Long hours in front of screens, constant decision-making, and fragmented attention are no longer exceptions - they have become the baseline.

Yet most corporate wellbeing programs still focus on surface solutions: time-management workshops, gym memberships, or isolated stress training. What often remains unaddressed is the profound impact of our environment on the development of our nervous system.

That’s why I wanted to speak with Inga Beitiņa, Forest Therapy practitioner, about an approach that sounds simple but is strongly backed by research: guided nature immersion as a structured reset for the brain and nervous system.

What a practical reset can look like for modern teams.

Kristīne: Many people working in marketing and office environments feel constantly “on.” From your perspective, what is actually happening to the brain and body when we stay in prolonged screen-based, high-stress environments?

Inga:

Modern professionals indeed face numerous challenges in the workplace - long hours spent indoors, often remaining in the same position with little movement, working at a fast pace, and under sustained stress. Without adequate attention, both the body and mental health may begin to protest.

To restore energy and activate the body, it is essential to schedule regular breaks - ideally taken outdoors with light physical movement in fresh air.

One particularly effective method for supporting both mental and physical health is Forest Therapy. It provides a powerful way to step away during a lunch break and briefly distance oneself from heavy workloads. During a Forest Therapy session, a trained practitioner guides participants approx. 1 hour, typically in a nearby park or along forest trails, helping them reset their senses in a natural environment. After the session, individuals feel restored and ready to return to demanding tasks.

Forest Therapy originated in Japan (Shinrin-yoku, meaning “Forest bathing”) and over the past three decades has become an important restorative mindfulness practice across Europe.

For organizations, offering this practice to employees represents a clear long-term benefit: after such a restorative experience, teams tend to become more cohesive, productive, and motivated.

Kristīne: Forest Therapy might sound poetic to some people. How would you explain it in practical terms to a company leader who is skeptical and focused on measurable outcomes?

Inga:

Companies around the world are increasingly integrating nature-based wellbeing solutions into their ESG, HR, and sustainability strategies. Forest Therapy is a structured, nature-based intervention and a low-cost, high-impact cognitive reset protocol designed to enhance decision-making quality, strengthen sustained focus, and build executive resilience.

Research by the SHRM Foundation, established by the world’s largest HR professional association, shows that when an employer invests just €1 per employee per year in wellbeing, the organization can save up to €6 in costs related to sick leave, reduced productivity, and disengagement.*

*SHRMFoundation, www.shrm.org

Kristīne: There is growing research behind Forest Therapy. Which physiological or cognitive changes do you consider the most relevant for working professionals?

Inga:

Research in environmental psychology and neuroscience shows that exposure to nature:

• Reduces stress and cortisol levels

• Improves focus, memory, and cognitive flexibility

• Enhances mood and emotional regulation

• Supports creativity and problem-solving

• Lowers absence rates and burnout risk

For organizations, these outcomes translate into healthier employees, stronger engagement, and more sustainable performance.

Burnout and early warning signs

Kristīne: From your experience, what are the early signals that a team or individual is approaching burnout, even before they fully recognize it themselves?

Inga: 

I would say that burnout begins when we are not honest with ourselves. We ignore the overload, overtime, and prolonged high-stress conditions for a long time. Then a decline in performance often follows - loss of concentration, irritability, emotional alienation, and constant fatigue. Meaning is lost both at the individual level and sometimes even at the team level when early signs of this are loss of initiative, unwillingness to cooperate, and transition from proactive to reactive task performance. A team going through a burnout often becomes less productive, passive, and makes more mistakes. Forest Therapy sessions will be a very useful tool for managers to proactively address the issue, maintaining a healthy team atmosphere and strengthening the team's resilience to burnout.

Practical application for busy professionals

Kristīne: Many people reading this will think: “This sounds great, but I don’t have hours to disappear into a Forest.” What are realistic ways busy professionals can integrate nature-based reset into their routines?

Inga: 
A connection with nature can also be experienced while working in an urban environment or office -  it simply requires small adjustments to daily habits. Too often, our breaks consist of a quick walk to the coffee machine and back, or for some, a longer trip to the smoking area. Yet there is a healthier alternative.

Research shows that even a brief exposure to nature indoors during the workday can reduce cortisol levels, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, boost energy, and relieve mental tension. How can this be achieved? By introducing simple, visual, tactile, and auditory cues that evoke the presence of nature in the workplace.

For example, take a few minutes to listen through headphones to a birdsong, the sound of a flowing stream, or some gentle ocean waves. Allow these sounds to settle your mind and reconnect you with the emotions you may have experienced at the beach, in a forest, or in a meadow. Another approach is to engage with plants in your office -  observe them quietly and, without judgment, take in the calming effect of their natural green color. A third method is to allow natural sunlight into the workspace. Daylight stimulates serotonin production, improves mood, and enhances energy levels, cognitive performance, and concentration.

These are simple, practical ideas that can be implemented in any office to help people reconnect with nature.

Organizational impact

Kristīne: If a company invests in structured wellbeing practices like forest therapy, what changes do you typically observe at the team or organizational level?

Inga:

A shared Forest Therapy experience can strengthen internal communication within an organization. Because the experience takes place outside the usual work routine and without the mediation of technology, employees tend to feel more at ease and get to know one another more authentically. This, in turn, contributes to improved overall team performance once they return to work.

We design Forest Therapy experiences to help organizations achieve the following objectives:

-        preventive stress management.

-        strengthening employee wellbeing.

-        activating engagement and motivation.

-        fostering a meaningful and sustainable work environment.

Micro vs macro reset

Kristīne: Is there a difference between occasional retreats and regular, smaller practices? Which creates a more sustainable impact?

Inga:

Regularly planned activities will have a lasting effect in the long run. Every time a team enjoys a meaningful break from anxiety and stress, it brings results and improves the overall performance of the organization. In addition, there are ways to direct the content of the Forest Therapy session to focus on specific problems of the team.

Personal story

Kristīne:  How did you personally arrive at this work? Was there a moment that made you realize this approach was needed?

Inga:

First, I really like being in nature. I grew up in a small Latvian town where nature was constantly present. Secondly, after working in an office environment in marketing and advertising for many years, I realized that I wanted to do meaningful work that would help companies and individuals receive experiences that could renew them and inspire them with new strength. And nature is a great place to do that. I will always remember Chef Mārtiņš Rītiņš's idea of ​​slow food. Forest Therapy is a type of slow living that helps you learn to feel yourself here and now in a present situation.

Misconceptions

Kristīne: What is the biggest misconception people have about nature-based therapy or workplace wellbeing?

Inga:

Because Forest Therapy is a relatively new practice in this region, people sometimes stereotype it as an esoteric or dogmatic practice. However, this is not true. Forest Therapy is based on scientific research and evidence of its medical effects on mental and physical health.

For leaders reading this

Kristīne:  If a CMO, HR leader, or founder reading this recognizes signs of overload in their team, what is the first step you would recommend they take?

Inga:

It is important to realize that connecting with nature and practicing slow mindfulness in nature is a good way to balance a stressful and active everyday life. It is guaranteed not to have bad side effects, so choosing such practices is a good way to take care of the well-being of employees. This is one of the important aspects of building teamwork in a sustainable company policy.

Kristīne: For companies interested in exploring this further, what kinds of formats or programs do you offer, and how can teams start experimenting with this approach?

Inga:

I offer three different approaches - firstly - getting to know the teams, discussing how to better introduce the experience of nature presence in the company, secondly - we can organize a shorter Forest Therapy session near the office for 45 min. to 1 hour in nature and thirdly - enjoy a longer session of 2-3 hours in the forest trails around Riga as a separate team-building event. See you in nature!

Felt curious? Contact Inga Beitiņa, Forest Therapy practitioner, for your company’s possibility to join the Forest experience.