A survey published in the Harvard Business Review showed workers view access to natural light as the number one attribute they look for in their office environment.
Whether you’re working from home or are back in the office, the benefits of natural light are plenty and in this blog post, we’re digging into three in particular.
3 Benefits of Natural Light in an Office
Improves Productivity
Don’t you just feel better and more motivated when the sun is shining?
That’s because natural light provides the boost we need to get things done.
In fact, Eco Business published a study that showed workplaces with sufficient daylight saw an uptick of between 5 and 40 percent productivity and sales.
Mood Boost
They don’t call it mood lighting for nothing because your mood can be directly affected by it.
Think about it for a moment.
If you’re in a room with dim, fluorescent lighting, odds are you’ll feel sluggish and tired.
But, if a room is enveloped in bright, natural light, you’ll likely feel more focused and energized to tackle the tasks at hand.
If there aren’t any windows in your office, make it a point to get at least 10 – 30 minutes of sunlight in the span of a day to maintain healthy blood levels.
Better Sleep
Natural light regulates our circadian rhythm or body clock that’s used to coordinate the functions of our body.
As the sun rises, our body understands it’s time to reset the clock and start the day.
When the sun sets, our body starts to prepare itself for sleep to rest and rejuvenate.
Now, that’s how the body works normally.
But, the circadian rhythm can be inhibited as we’re exposed to different light sources throughout the day.
From fluorescent lighting to phone screens and monitors, artificial lighting can throw our bodies out of whack.
That’s why being exposed to as much natural light as possible during the course of a day can help our bodies stay in alignment to its natural rhythm.
In fact, research has shown that workers who were exposed to natural light throughout the day tended to sleep better and longer at night.
Natural Light in Your Home Office
As many people across the country continue to work from home, it’s important to find ways to maximize the sunlight in your home office.
Morning light is equal parts calming and motivating but as the day goes on, the sunlight becomes stronger and warmer.
It’s during those times custom wood shutters provide the perfect solution to control how much and how little sunlight streams into your office during the course of a day.
Not only does the ability to control the shutters help you adjust the lighting, it also helps save on your energy bills as windows are responsible for up to 30 percent of a home’s heating and cooling energy loss.
Because the average person spends more than 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime, natural light is imperative to boost a person’s productivity and mood and also improve the quality of their sleep so they can live better both professionally and personally.
If you’re interested in learning more about how our custom wood shutters can Transform Your Home, contact us today.
