Never underestimate the power of light and what it can do to your mood and performance. Whether it is you are working at the office or home, a well-lit office space can impact the way you approach your job.
It can also affect your bodily functions and senses. If you are working or writing on your desk without much light, you put a strain on your eyes. Hence, your body is working twice as hard as usual.
Anyone who has worked in a darkly lit office understands how refreshing it is to step outside for lunch or at the end of the day. You feel alive again when you look up at the sky and feel the sun on your face. It is a natural adrenaline boost. Humans, like plants, require a certain quantity of light to maintain their health.
And not just any light, but the natural and real one. With so much emphasis on incorporating new tools and contemporary designs to create the ideal office space, the truth is that one of the most crucial variables in increasing your employees' mood and productivity is also one of the most basic: make sure they have enough natural light.
Join us in this article as we talk about the use and transformational effects of having and utilizing natural light in an office setting.
How Natural Light Affects You
Your biological clock is controlled by an internal system of circadian rhythms, which work on a 24-hour cycle and inform you when to sleep, wake, and eat, among other things. If your body clock is out of whack, you are not going to feel great. When you are severely jetlagged, this is what occurs. Your body clock is attempting to readjust itself, and you cannot sleep and have chronic fatigue all day.
Natural light is essential for keeping your body clock on track. When the sun begins to set at the end of the day, the reduced natural light prompts a series of internal signals that begin to prepare the body for sleep. If you have not gotten enough natural light that day, your system will be thrown off since your body won't feel like it's time to go to bed yet, regardless of the hour.
This might lead to sleep disturbances and restless nights, which are bad for your general health. And, regardless of how much coffee they consume, tired employees are not the most effective employees.
Employees Who are in Good Health are More Productive
Professor Alan Hedge of Cornell University's Department of Design and Environmental Analysis discovered that working within 10 feet of a window reduced eye strain, headaches, and blurred vision symptoms by 84 percent.
He said that improving the amount of natural light in an office greatly enhances worker health and wellness, leading to productivity gains. Hedge added that as businesses seek to empower their workers to perform better and live healthier lives, it is evident that providing them with office spaces with ample natural light should be a top priority.
Employees may not feel the need to seek out an interruption for an energy boost if they can focus on their task without experiencing eye strain, headaches, or impaired vision.
When you consider all of these reasons, as well as the health benefits of some good old-fashioned Vitamin D, it's clear that natural light is something that you should incorporate into your new office design.
Utilizing Natural Light Brightens Your Day
Future Workplace, a human resource consulting organization, recently conducted a survey titled "The Employee Experience," in which they polled over 1,600 North Americans about the influence of natural light and outside vistas in the workplace.
Meanwhile, 47% of respondents claimed the lack of windows and natural light made them feel fatigued or very fatigued. This is exacerbated by employees spending so much time staring at computer screens, which causes an even higher internal desire for sunlight.
According to the survey, 73 percent of respondents agreed that the longer they stared at their displays, the more they desired a visual break such as going for a walk or gazing out the window.
Other Things You Need to Know About Office Spaces Without Access to Near Windows
We understand that not every office can magically convert into a futuristic, wonderful environment. However, you do not have to be innovative to make your workplace a healthier and more productive one.
Here are a few more options to assist your staff view the light if your company works in a smaller environment with limited windows.
Use Glass
If you can afford it, installing some glass walls can assist outside light flow throughout the office rather than hitting the drywall of a closed space and remaining imprisoned there, only to be appreciated by whoever happens to be in that one area. It is also worth noting that having more natural light means you won't have to keep all of the workplace lights on all day, saving you money on energy bills.
It is Time for a Fresh Coat of Paint.
The appropriate paint color combination can give your office a new lease on life while also helping to reflect and disperse natural light rather than dimming it. Check read our post on how to color hack your office for more information on this concept.
Get Out of the Office as Soon as Possible!
Instead of sitting in a manager's office on sunny days, consider holding meetings outside or going with your team to a nearby coffee shop. Without paying a dollar, changing up the surroundings and encouraging employees to seek natural light on their own during breaks might do wonders (except maybe on coffee at the local cafe).
Different Tones Produce Different Outcomes.
Consider the impact of different color grades on alertness and performance when purchasing ceiling lights for common areas and meeting rooms, ranging from cold blue lighting that evokes a feeling of attentiveness similar to that of a blue sky to warmer tones that lean more towards the calming effect of a sunset or campfire.
Conclusion
Adding the touch of natural light not only brings brightness to your setting at the office but can affect your approach to your work. There is nothing wrong with complimenting your Kana Bamboo Standing Desk from FlexiSpot with a touch of natural light from the sun. You can refer to this article, again and again, to look back on the importance of natural light in your office design.
