Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0:58) is in the downloads at the end of the post. Please "Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

"A lot of it centers on what's called biophilia. Bio, life. Philia, meaning love. So we have a love for nature," says Dr. Bauer.

He says the research shows office areas with windows, which provide natural light and views of the outdoors, improve workers' cognitive performance and satisfaction with their office environment.

"How it actually works or what it actually does is a little harder to determine with 100% clarity yet," says Dr. Bauer.

People are happier and healthier when exposed to nature. It may help boost immune function and decrease stress.

Dr. Bauer has two tips on how to work nature into your workspace. If you can move by a window, do it. If not, bring nature into your cubicle.

He says bring in a plant, a small water feature, or items made of wood or stone.

"It seems to be almost as powerful if you have a picture of nature," says Dr. Bauer.

Bring the outside in for better productivity and health.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Why windows at work improve productivity appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — New research from the Well Living Lab, a Delos™ and Mayo Clinic collaboration, shows that office areas with windows, which provide people with natural light and views of the outdoors, improve workers' cognitive performance and satisfaction with their office environment. Modern shading and glass tinting techniques can mitigate eyestrain, reducing discomfort from daylight glare.

These findings are published in the November volume of Building and Environment. The study was conducted by researchers from the fields of environmental, health and behavioral science.

As part of the study, participants moved into in a simulated office setting matching their regular office cubicles. There, they went about their normal work activities for 14 weeks while environment and behavior were monitored. They brought their personal artifacts and work tools with them.

The simulated office space had east- and north-facing windows, and all participants sat an equal distance from the windows. Every two weeks, participants were exposed to a different window condition: mesh shades, dynamically tinted windows or blackout shades to remove daylight and view. The dynamic tinting windows used an algorithm to automatically adjust to darker tints in the mornings to prevent daylight glare and returned to a state that was not tinted by midday. Participants could adjust the mesh shade height and window tinting amounts to their preference. All other conditions, such as electric lighting, temperature, humidity and ventilation, were consistently maintained.

Three aspects of cognitive function were measured daily: working memory, inhibition and task switching. Eye health, including eyestrain, fatigue, irritability, focus and blurred vision, were evaluated by a questionnaire. The employees also reported their satisfaction with their office environment, such as their reactions to the workspace overall, and lighting for computer- and paper-based work.

Cognitive function improved when participants had access to daylight and view in their office area. Specifically, their ability to hold and manipulate items in memory and their ability to inhibit responses increased. Task switching was not affected by the various study conditions. Both the mesh shading and dynamic tinting resulted in the same degree of improved cognitive performance, compared to blackout conditions. Eyestrain also lessened when employees had access to daylight and view from the windows, with no difference between the two types of shading. Environmental satisfaction also improved with window access.

When the workspace had the windows blacked out, the No. 1 change that employees wanted was window access. When they experienced mesh shades and dynamic tinting, their top desired improvement varied from noise to temperature to privacy.

"We've added to the growing evidence that the ability to see the outdoors has a positive impact," says Brent Bauer, M.D., medical director of the Well Living Lab and principal investigator on the study for Mayo Clinic. "Other studies have shown access to daylight and views reduces stress, improves mood and lowers absenteeism from work — and even that employees make fewer mistakes. Additional studies can build upon these findings to help complete the picture that is emerging: that windows are good for us."

The Well Living Lab recognizes that not everyone with an office job can have access to daylight and views, and offers these tips:

• Bring nature inside, such as plants or a water feature. Decorate with nature scenes, such as photos and paintings, screen savers and cutouts from magazines.
• Use natural elements in the design of the workspace, including wood and stone.
• Listen to nature recordings on your headset or stream videos showing woods, lakes, flowers or other elements of nature that you find enjoyable.
• Use breaks to walk outside.

###

About the Well Living Lab
The Well Living Lab, a collaboration of Delos™ and Mayo Clinic, is dedicated to identifying how indoor environments affect human health and well-being. It conducts scientific research with human subjects in a simulated real-world environment and shares practical findings that can be applied to improving indoor spaces where people spent approximately 90% of their time. The lab has 5,500 square feet of sensor-rich, reconfigurable space in downtown Rochester. Learn more.

About Delos™
Delos is a wellness real estate and technology company guided by the mission to be the world’s leading catalyst for improving the health and well-being of people around the world by improving the indoor environments where they live, work, sleep and play.  Informed by more than seven years of research and rigorous analysis of environmental health impacts on people, Delos and its subsidiaries offer an array of evidence-based technology and solutions for residential and commercial spaces.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news and An Inside Look at Mayo Clinic for more information about Mayo.

Media contact:

• Suzanne Leaf-Brock, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Well Living Lab study shows cognitive performance of office workers improves when windows provide access to daylight, view appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast, Dr. Rekha Mankad, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and director of the Women’s Heart Clinic, joins us to discuss women's heart health. Also on the podcast, Dr. Tobias Kohler, a urologist at Mayo Clinic, explains a promising new treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. And Dr. Brent Bauer and Dr. Anja Jamrozik share findings of the first study done by Mayo Clinic's Well Living Lab. Dr. Bauer is director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program and medical director for the Well Living Lab. Dr. Jamrozik is the Delos behavioral science consultant.

The post #MayoClinicRadio podcast: 2/24/18 appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Rekha Mankad, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and director of the Women’s Heart Clinic, will join us to discuss women's heart health. Also on the program, Dr. Tobias Kohler, a urologist at Mayo Clinic, will explain a promising new treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. And Dr. Brent Bauer and  Dr. Anja Jamrozik will share findings of the first study done by Mayo Clinic's Well Living Lab. Dr. Bauer is director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program and medical director for the Well Living Lab. Dr. Jamrozik is the Delos behavioral science consultant.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Women’s heart health appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Delos^®, Mayo Clinic collaborate on first ever, human-centered research center
dedicated to creating healthier indoor spaces

Rochester, Minn. (September 30, 2015)— Exposure to indoor environments is at an all-time high. In fact, Americans spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors, whether at home, work, school, retail stores, fitness centers, health care facilities and more. But what many people don’t realize is that buildings, and everything in them, can affect human health and well-being. Today marked the opening of the Well Living Lab, a new research facility dedicated to studying these environments and creating healthier indoor spaces in which to live, work and play.

“There is a growing awareness and body of scientific evidence that indoor, built environments can affect human health and well-being, with the perception often being that indoor environments have a negative impact on health,” said Brent Bauer. M.D., medical director of the Well Living Lab and professor of medicine for Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program. “But new knowledge shows that by building healthier indoor environments, we can actually preserve and enhance human health and quality of life.”

Media contacts:
Callie Stanton, Delos  cstanton@nikecomm.com 646-654-3438
Duska Anastasijevic, Mayo Clinic newsbureau@mayo.edu 507-284-5005

Delos and Mayo Clinic have collaborated on the design and development of the Well Living Lab, as well as defining the research agenda. The Lab, which is adjacent to the campus of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., features research space that is sensor-rich and can be reconfigured to simulate a wide variety of real-world environments. This will allow researchers to design innovative studies to better understand how indoor spaces, and everything in them, can positively influence human health. Areas of study will include the impact on humans from environmental factors such as lighting, noise, air quality and temperature, as well as products and technologies that are used to create and furnish indoor spaces.

Additionally, opportunities to participate in the Lab are available to companies who have a vested interest in healthier indoor environments for their employees and customers, as well as those whose products and services have the potential to impact indoor environments.

“There is a movement taking hold to make healthier indoor spaces a priority in both residential and commercial real estate,” said Peter Scialla, chief operating officer of Delos and a member of the Lab’s Joint Steering Committee. “Building on existing standards which guide developers and manufacturers of products and services toward this goal, the Well Living Lab will be a leader in translating scientific research into practical solutions for indoor environments that have the potential to enhance human health and quality of life in a multitude of ways.”

The Well Living Lab brings together the health care expertise and world-class research of Mayo Clinic and the knowledge of health and wellness in the built environment provided by Delos. This world-class research approach will leverage and expand upon the principles of the WELL Building Standard^®, which focuses on seven categories relevant to indoor health — air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. Pioneered by Delos and launched in 2014, the WELL Building Standard is administered by the International WELL Building Institute and third-party certified through Green Business Certification Inc.

“The Lab gives companies from around the world a unique opportunity to test ideas, technologies, products and services in real-life settings to better identify and validate potential health benefits. In doing so, they can also demonstrate their leadership, innovation and commitment to improving health and well-being now, and in the future,” said Douglas Wood, M.D., medical director, Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation.

The Well Living Lab is currently accepting members and identifying initial research projects, which will commence in the first quarter of 2016. To learn more, visit www.WellLivingLab.com or follow on Twitter (@Well_Living_Lab) and Facebook (Well Living Lab).

###

About Delos

As the pioneer of Wellness Real Estate™, Delos is transforming our homes, offices, schools, and other indoor environments by placing health and wellness at the center of design and construction decisions. Delos helps create spaces that actively contribute to human health, performance and well-being by marrying the best innovations in technology, health, science, and real estate. The Delos platform includes programming, consulting, research, and an array of innovative, built-in amenities that research suggests may improve occupant well-being. More information on Delos is available at www.delos.com.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to medical research and education, and providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing. For more information, visit 150years.mayoclinic.org, http://www.mayoclinic.org and newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.

The post Well Living Lab opens during Mayo Clinic Transform 2015 appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Delos®, the Pioneer of Wellness Real Estate™, and the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation today announced their agreement to design, build and operate the newly formed WELL Living Lab — a multidisciplinary lab that will be uniquely focused on the interaction between health, wellness and the built environment. Set to debut in April 2015 adjacent to Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus in downtown Rochester, the WELL Living Lab will be the first lab exclusively committed to research, development and testing of both new and existing innovations designed to improve the health and well-being of individuals as they live and work within built environments.

An open-innovation ecosystem for healthy living, the WELL Living Lab will simulate realistic living and working environments, including homes, offices, schools, communities and hotels in order to test, monitor and identify the efficacy of wellness-based interventions. The lab will incorporate state-of-the-art technology and unique design elements that will create a dynamic, versatile and highly adaptable environment, allowing for a wide range of simulated real-world conditions. Delos® and Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation will co-govern the lab, which will be staffed by Mayo Clinic personnel, along with members of the Delos® team.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Duska Anastasijevic, Mayo Clinic, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu
Callie Shumaker, Delos, 646-654-3438, cshumaker@nikecomm.com

“The new WELL Living Lab provides us with an unparalleled opportunity to work with one of the world’s leading medical institutions to drive new, groundbreaking research in the fields of health and well-being,” says Delos® founder Paul Scialla. “As an engine for discovering and introducing health and wellness innovations to the industry, the lab will be a sought-after resource for companies all over the world to bring their ideas, products and technologies to be tested and researched.”

The lab will utilize the WELL Building Standard^® as the foundation for testing, research and development pertaining to the improvement of health and wellness through evidence-based interventions. Pioneered by Delos® in 2012, administered by the International WELL Building Institute and third-party certified through the Green Building Certification Institute, the WELL Building Standard is informed by seven categories — Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort and Mind.

“Delos® has a remarkable vision of how environments can help people optimize their health and well-being. We are excited to partner with Delos® in extending our capacity to create health for people where they live and work,” says Douglas Wood, M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and medical director, Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation.

Upon completion, the WELL Living Lab will work on a diverse range of activities including case studies and projects that include product and technology evaluations, testing, development and improvement, as well as sponsored research and protocol testing.

Founded in 2007, Delos® has pioneered the concept of Wellness Real Estate™, merging human and environmental sustainability to create homes, offices, schools and other built environments that optimize residents’ health and enhance their quality of life. Delos® has spent over five years researching, developing and collaborating with leading medical institutions and researchers, architects, engineers and wellness thought-leaders to create groundbreaking healthy designs, features and technologies that passively deliver medical interventions through the built environment. Some of Delos®’ recently completed projects include CBRE’s new Global Headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, Calif., which was completed in November 2013 and designed with more than 50 health and wellness features, and 66 East 11th Street, which is a six-unit condominium building in New York City’s Greenwich Village and the world’s first wellness residences.

###

About Delos®
As the pioneer of Wellness Real Estate™, Delos® is transforming our homes, offices, schools, and other indoor environments by placing health and wellness at the center of design and construction decisions. Delos® helps create spaces that actively contribute to human health, performance and wellbeing by marrying the best innovations in technology, health, science, and real estate. The Delos® platform includes programming, consulting, research, and an array of innovative, built-in amenities that research suggests may improve occupant well-being. More information on Delos® is available at www.delosliving.com.

About Mayo Clinic
Recognizing 150 years of serving humanity in 2014, Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit 150years.mayoclinic.org, http://www.mayoclinic.org and newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Duska Anastasijevic, Mayo Clinic, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu
Callie Shumaker, Delos, 646-654-3438, cshumaker@nikecomm.com

The post Mayo Clinic and Delos®, the Pioneer of Wellness Real Estate™, Announce Agreement to Establish the WELL Living Lab appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.