Importance of Right Lighting for Productivity and Mental Well-being
With emerging evidence of mood disorders like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which draws our attention to the right kind of lighting for the right mood and well being, the importance of right lighting for workspace becomes pretty clear and obvious.
Lighting can influence a person's overall mood and state of wellbeing. It, therefore, is important to constantly check out if your employees get exposure to the right kind of light. Ankur Ringo LED Track Light is the perfect addition to your office space for illumination with health benefits. With a design that is minimalist and elegant, this Track light is the most amazing addition for aesthetic benefits and a soothing light effect. Lighting or the colour of the room, which is often overlooked, affects productivity to a great extent. Generally, the focus of mental health and well-being is focused more on enhancing a happy and healthy workplace but seldom on the subliminal processes that affect a person's output. Faulty lighting is associated with a range of ill-health effects, including eye strain, headaches, fatigue and also stress and anxiety in more high-pressured work environments.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and its emphasis on exposure to the right light
As we navigate through the darkest and shortest days of the year during winter, office workers struggle to work in poor lighting every day. This decreases the graph of their productivity and wellbeing. Winter evokes the feeling of stress and heightens suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Studies also found that poor lighting at workplaces increases the frustration level of the employees. Health practitioners and researchers found that the mere exposure to natural light for at least 15 minutes is enough to trigger the release of endorphins, the happy hormone. In a sense, the sunlight is the source of healing. This practice is especially beneficial for people affected by SAD in which people suffer from clinical levels of depression for up to a quarter of the year. Emerging research also establishes a strong relationship between workplace daylight exposure and office workers’ sleep, productivity and quality of life.
Results of such studies emphasise on natural lighting and the consensus that daylight is the best form of light. However, in cases of workplaces where it is practically impossible to provide maximum daylight exposure, the role of a combination of artificial and natural lighting comes into play. Artificial lighting that can be personalized and tailor-made as per the activity, function and individual requirements of the employees.
Personalised lighting and productivity at the workplace
Personalised lighting options, adjusted according to an employee's personal needs can help create more inclusive work environments. Biodynamic lighting which can adjust the lighting during the day for the tone and illuminance as per natural daylight levels outside can be a great addition to a workspace. This gives the employees a sense of authority over their work environments. Such healthy practices in work environments increase their levels of happiness and productivity in the workplace.
Try out Ankur Round 3D LED Downlight to reach the peak of productivity of your employees. With powerful and adjustable individual light fixtures, these can be a great source of benefit for the employees in providing a personalised light setting in the workspace.
Lighting and its impact on work performance, employee well being and cognitive performance
Work performance can be measured in terms of the extent to which an employee meets the requirements of their job role. Lighting in the workplace has an impact on employee performance in several ways. It may affect eye strain, cause quick burn out and disturb the visual comfort. Poor lighting may interfere with the cognitive performance of the employee by affecting the problem solving and decision making ability of the via imbalanced circadian rhythms, the sleep-wake cycle of the employee. Lighting can also have an impact on mood and interpersonal relationships at work and ultimately job satisfaction.
Some lighting experts have recommended an emphasis on cooler, daylight temperatures at the workplace. A research centre of sleep suggests that certain wavelengths of blue light suppress the sleep hormone that regulates sleep/wake cycles. There are records of improved sleep patterns and visual acuity with the introduction of blue light.
Insufficient lighting increases the error rates and in many cases small and accidental injuries. There is sufficient evidence to show the enhanced productivity and well-being in the workplace by the installation of lights that mimic natural lighting with architectural strategies like large windows and ventilators. Workers display a low mood under too bright or too dim lighting. Mood improvement is evident with the right level of lighting.
Colour temperature lighting is the most beneficial in a work setting?
One of the most striking factors influencing how we work is the colour temperature of the light source we’re exposed to regularly.
Research has shown that cooler light makes workers more productive. In line with the findings of sunlight as a source of benefit to the health, decreasing depression and improving mood, energy, alertness and productivity, innovations in the workspace have been possible. One of the strategies can be the replacement of drywall with an extensive amount of glass in the offices. In this way, light can travel and is evenly dispersed throughout the office space.
Tailoring Lighting Throughout the Office
With all the brainstorming benefits of right lighting, the conclusion can be stretched to apply strategic lighting in your office. With effects from blue lights enhancing work performance by boosting mental acuity, vitality and alertness while reducing fatigue and sleepiness, this strategy can be used in brainstorming spaces at the workspace. The lowered level of melatonin due to the introduction of blue-enriched light keeps people alert in the same way coffee does.
Lighting with warmer tones tends to create a sense of comfort. Hence, this kind of lighting can be used in settings where you want workers to feel calm and relaxed, perhaps in a meeting room where you want to build trust with your employees.
Programmable Lighting
The most innovative companies in the lighting sector are already aware of the power of strategic lighting. Companies are very likely to install programmable lighting for increased sustainability and greater control. The innovative and sophisticated lighting management software offers centralised, remote light point management to support connected lighting systems for best illumination experiences with maximised energy efficiency and resiliency, and offer extraordinary value beyond illumination for the employees at the workplace.
Modern-day workers spend maximum time in the office. Enhance it with smarter tactics and technology to bring maximum benefit to their employers and the company. With the right light, it is possible to change the rhythm of work with maximum advantage. Companies that understand what drives productivity get the most out of their talent resultantly producing better products, better human resources, offering greater service and, ultimately, generating higher revenue.