Escaping the Office – Finding a New Love for Nature

by Koma HARANO ｜7 March 2023

As a product manager, my daily routine revolves around analyzing endless streams of user data, conducting research, and making sense of numbers that never seem to stop coming. Most of my day is spent staring at a screen, buried in reports and feedback loops, trying to make the right decisions. By the time I log off, my body feels stiff, my mind exhausted—but somehow, I can never truly disconnect. I tried giving myself breaks, stepping outside to sit on a patch of grass near the office, hoping the sun on my skin would help. But inevitably, my phone would vibrate, and I’d check it. One unread message turned into five, then ten. Before I knew it, I was back in work mode, stress creeping in all over again.

This time, however, was different.

When I joined DJI’s outdoor experience, I wasn’t just stepping outside—I was stepping into something entirely new. The moment I launched the drone into the air, I felt a shift. Instead of screens filled with charts and emails, I was watching real-time footage of the trees stretching endlessly beneath me. The drone followed winding trails, soared over green canopies, and captured perspectives I had never truly taken the time to appreciate. For the first time in a long while, my mind wasn’t racing through tasks—I was simply present. It was peaceful, almost meditative.

But what surprised me most was how much I enjoyed it. This wasn’t just a one-time escape—it was something I wanted to keep doing. Since that day, I’ve started making small changes. Even if I don’t have time for a long outdoor trip, I now take a moment to step outside, look up at the sky, and breathe. Sometimes, I open my phone—not for work, but to capture a photo of sunlight filtering through the trees. It turns out, I don’t need an excuse to enjoy nature—I just need to let myself do it.