Can lighting effect your health, productivity and well-being?
To explore the effects of lighting upon employees’ well-being in the workplace we must first define well-being. Well-being is a person’s perception of themselves as being comfortable, healthy or happy.
Lighting is often overlooked and taken for granted. The majority of the time we do not notice it unless the space is not lit well, or the lights are inadequate. According to the World Green Building Council’s research, it pays to pay attention to the impact that lighting has on your workforce. Research has showed that exposure to natural light increases productivity by 18%* and better lighting in general improves work rates by 23%*.
Our bodies react to darkness by creating the hormone known as melatonin which regulates sleep. If there is not enough light, feelings of lethargy will be caused by an excess of the hormone, in turn, reducing productivity and the motivation to complete a work task on time and to a high standard.
Human Centric Lighting
The research also shows that the colour of lighting can have an effect on a person’s mood and work performance. It’s been known for some time that full spectrum light, particularly colours in the blue-green spectrum, are best for making us feel awake and alert. When we’re exposed to this kind of lighting during the day, it helps us resist feeling sleepy and sends a strong signal to our brains and influences our circadian rhythm.
Ideally, lighting in the workplace would encourage productivity in your workforce and provide a balance of natural and artificial for employees to concentrate to the best of their ability for extended periods of time.
If you’d like to know more about designing the right lighting for your workplace, contact one of our experts today.
