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Office spaces should aid productivity, focus, concentration, and creativity. One underrated yet crucial factor in achieving this is natural light exposure in the office environment. Natural light impacts sleep, mental health, alertness, focus, and mood, directly influencing employee performance and productivity. Despite its importance, many employees lack adequate natural light in their work and personal environments. In addition, many employers need help improving office lighting. In this article, we explore the significance of natural light, its benefits, and how light therapy in the workplace can serve as an effective alternative for office spaces lacking sufficient daylight exposure.
What is the importance of natural light in office spaces?
Research has proven that natural light is integral in regulating and facilitating many body functions that are critical for human health.
The human body and mind need light for optimal performance and rhythm. Lack of natural light in the workplace can cause poor sleep quality, mental fatigue, sour mood, decreased alertness, and other symptoms.
You can easily draw a straight line between these variables and employee performance and productivity. Many organisations spend billions of dollars annually on employee engagement strategies and perks, trying to increase employee performance and productivity by an extra percentage.
Having natural light is as effective as the most successful strategies in crafting a delightful employee experience. However, most employees do not get enough sunlight at work.
According to a survey by Future Workplace, over 33% of employees reckon that they endure a lack of natural light at work , and just shy of 50% say “they feel tired or very tired from the absence of natural light or a window at their office.” More importantly, about 70% report that having access to natural lighting improved their performance at work,
Employees who enjoy significantly more light exposure are more likely to experience improved overall well-being. Investing in natural light solutions can thus be a cost-effective approach to promote office workers’ health.
Advantages of natural light for health and well-being
Optimised body rhythm
Daily natural light exposure helps regulate the body’s internal clock, aligning it with the day-night cycle. Your internal clock enables you to sleep and wake when you ought to, amongst other functions. This synchronisation promotes better sleep patterns, improves mood, and enhances overall cognitive function. When the internal clock is optimised, you experience increased daytime alertness and more restful sleep at night.
An out-of-sync rhythm can throw your body off when it should execute specific functions, like releasing melatonin, the body’s sleep hormone. Consequently, an optimised internal clock leads to better physical health, reduced stress levels, and increased productivity and focus in daily activities.
Reduced eye diseases and strain on the eyes
Without natural daylight, many office spaces use different lighting technologies like fluorescent and LEDs. While these technologies have many advantages, including emitting cooler colour temperatures and cost savings, they can affect the eyes negatively.
Fluorescent and LED lights emit UV light, and the former alone can increase “UV-related eye diseases by up to 12%.” Considering employees spend upwards of 40 hours every week at work, this is a notable risk.
Office spaces with great light exposure need less artificial light, thus reducing the risk of UV exposure and, consequently, eye diseases like cataracts and pterygia.
Workers in office environments that depend less on artificial lighting also experience a 51% reduction in eyestrain, a 63% decrease in headaches, and a 56% drop in drowsiness.
Longer sleep and improved sleep quality.
Several studies in the clinical sleep medicine domain show that natural light is beneficial for sleep. Researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Illinois found that employees sitting close to office windows enjoy 173% more natural light exposure than those without. The researchers also found that the former group slept 46 minutes more than the latter.
More importantly, the group with more natural light enjoyed better sleep quality.
What is light therapy?
Light therapy involves exposure to specific wavelengths and intensities of light . The light comes from specially designed devices, typically known as light therapy boxes. In most use cases, the intended outcome is to mimic the experience of getting direct sunlight.
You may also like: Understanding Light Therapy: What It Is and Its Health Benefits.
Types of light therapy devices
Lightboxes: These are the most common devices on the market. They emit bright light similar to natural sunlight and are usually used for about 20-30 minutes daily.
Light therapy glasses: These wearable devices, like the Luminette 3 , allow users to receive light therapy directly to the eyes while performing other activities. They are convenient for people with busy schedules.
Red and near-infrared light devices: These are often favoured for red light therapy tailored towards skin conditions and anti-aging treatments. They target the deeper layers of the skin to promote healing primarily through collagen production.
How does light therapy work?
The body’s internal clock controls many physiological functions, including signalling when to sleep and wake. Natural light exposure, especially before noon, is crucial for resetting this clock to maintain its 24-hour cycle.
Without natural light, the body’s cycle can extend beyond 24 hours, disrupting sleep patterns and throwing other functions out of sync. Under the hood, it triggers a delay in the production of melatonin, thus making you more alert and lifting your mood.
Every session involves sitting near the light source for a prescribed duration, typically 20-30 minutes daily. The exact distance and timing depend on the light therapy device’s light intensity and design.
Advantages of light therapy in the workplace
Improved mood and reduced Stress
In the United Kingdom, stress, anxiety, and feelings of sadness accounted for 17.1 million days of work lost , about 19.6 days per worker. The reality is similarly stark in the United States, with employers losing as much as $225.8 billion annually due to absenteeism .
Helping employees deal with stress and improve their mood has tremendous business benefits. Stress and deep feelings of sadness are the primary reasons employees miss work or underperform while at work.
Morning daylight is a natural mood booster and stress-reducer , as it helps the brain supply more serotonin, an essential hormone in mood regulation.
In Akdeniz University Hospital in Antalya study , one-half of 141 nurses received at least three hours of sunlight daily, while the other half received less. The researchers found that the former group reported less stress and higher satisfaction at work.
In the absence of natural light, employees can enjoy these benefits with the help of light therapy devices.
Heightened productivity and concentration
Research shows that “ poor sleep of employees has often induced many negative consequences, such as a decline in in-role performance” and attentiveness. Another study estimated the loss in productivity due to poor sleep at $1,967 per employee annually .
So, improving sleep duration and quality will turbocharge productivity, concentration, and mental alertness. Workers with office desks close to windows sleep for about 46 minutes more than colleagues far from natural light.
Light therapy can bridge the gap between those with access to natural light and those without, helping employees maintain a healthy and accurate body clock.
Mitigates seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Light therapy is an effective treatment for SAD , a prolonged feeling of sadness during the winter months when sunlight is scarce. Irrespective of how big your windows are, all your employees will still be susceptible to winter blues.
Exposure to light therapy devices during the winter months mimics natural sunlight, helping employees regulate their body clock and balance mood-related chemicals in the brain.
Examples of such chemicals include serotonin and melatonin. An increase in serotonin and a decrease in melatonin during the day would help workers feel more awake, energetic, and positive throughout the day, making them more productive.
How to implement light therapy in offices
Select appropriate light therapy devices
When selecting the appropriate light therapy device for your office building, you should consider several factors to ensure safety and effectiveness.
First, prioritise safety by choosing lamps free from ultraviolet (UV) light, which can harm the eyes and skin. Look for products with certifications such as CE and IEC 62471, indicating adherence to industry standards.
Second, consider light intensity. Effective lamps, like Luminette light therapy glasses , typically emit around 2,000+ lux. Third, ensure the device is specifically designed to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) rather than skin issues.
Additionally, consider the device’s style and design for usability. Portable options like the Luminette are ideal for busy, individual users, while panel-type SAD lamps may suit multiple users.
Finally, balance cost with features and check for a good warranty for peace of mind.
Place the light therapy device in the right place
Proximity and angle are essential for maximising the effectiveness and comfortable usage of light therapy devices. Ensure you place the device or lamp within the recommended distance from your eyes, usually about 16 to 24 inches. The manufacturer will indicate the exact distance in the product manual.
More importantly, it is crucial to place the device at an angle so the light does not directly enter the employee's eyes.
Utilise the recommended duration and timing for light therapy
Consistently using and adhering to the recommended session duration is key to the effectiveness of light therapy. For most devices, the recommended duration is often between 20-30 minutes in the morning.
That said, duration will mostly depend on the device’s intensity. It’s imperative to stick to the instructions to avoid eye damage.
Takeaway: Light therapy is a practical solution for enhancing employee well-being
Light therapy is a practical solution, mimicking the beneficial effects of natural sunlight. Incorporating light therapy devices into your office space can improve mood, reduce stress, and boost employee productivity.
Adopting light therapy promotes a healthier office environment and drives better performance, creating a win-win situation for you and your employees.
Boost your performance with our Luminette glasses enriched with blue light for maximum effectiveness. It is portable and doesn’t restrict your movement or ability to work or use a computer. Get yours today!
FAQs
What are the health impacts of working in an office with little to no natural light?
Working in an office with a lack of natural light can disrupt sleep patterns, increase stress, cause eye strain, and negatively affect mood and cognitive function, ultimately reducing overall health and productivity.
How can light therapy improve mood and productivity in offices without natural light?
Light therapy mimics the effects of natural sunlight. As such, exposure to light therapy devices helps regulate the body's internal clock. Consequently, consistent exposure enhances sleep quality and overall cognitive function. This leads to reduced stress levels, elevated mood, and increased alertness, concentration, and productivity among employees.
What type of light therapy devices are best suited for office environments?
We recommend wearable devices like the Luminette 3, which allow users to receive light therapy directly to their eyes while performing their work. While light boxes or lamps can serve multiple users simultaneously, they require employees to sit still for the duration of the session.
How long and how often should employees use light therapy in the office?
For best results, employees should use light therapy daily. The duration, however, depends on the light therapy design specifications. Consult the product manual and use the recommended duration and timing.
Can light therapy help prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in office workers?
By mimicking natural sunlight, light therapy devices can help office workers maintain their internal body clocks during the winter months when natural sunlight is scarce. This ensures workers are mostly shielded from SAD.
