Spending time in green spaces may reduce workplace stress Written by Beth JoJack on January 15, 2021 — Fact checked by Alexandra Sanfins, Ph.D. Carina König/EyeEm/Getty Images Taking regular walks in the woods or in city parks may enhance workers’ ability to cope with stress. The relationship was significant even after controlling for a range of factors. The study involved more than 6,000 Japanese workers. Work-related stress affects employees all over the globe. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) added burnout — defined as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress — to its official compendium of diseases as an occupational phenomenon.