If you’ve been looking at ways to reduce stress in the workplace, you might not have thought much about lighting. However, the way you add light to your office environment could actually be contributing to the amount of stress your employees experience on a day to day basis.
Of course, during the winter months you’re not going to be able to rely upon natural light completely. Short days are often darker during the winter and even during the summer, the British weather can throw a spanner in the works! But, you can make the most of the natural light that does come your way and at least balance it with the amount of artificial light that you use in your office. By doing so, you may reduce workplace stress.
But, how? How does natural light play a part in reducing stress?
Sunlight helps our bodies to absorb vitamin D, therefore helping to make you feel more upbeat and positive, and making you healthier in general. That’s one benefit. We also have the fact that anything related to nature is naturally stress relieving. You only have to look at the biophilic office design trend to see that. Adding natural elements to your office has been shown to help reduce stress, and there’s nothing more natural than light from the sun!
It’s true that you’re going to need some amount of artificial lighting but this can occasionally cause headaches if it’s too harsh - that’s not going to help with stress, is it?
Finally, we have the fact that natural light has been shown to improve productivity and therefore help employees to feel like they have a firm handle on their work. That is a firm stress reliever from the start. When we’re exposed to a good amount of natural light every day, this helps to regulate our body clocks. So, we get the right amount of sleep, therefore helping us to handle whatever the working day throws at us, without feeling quite so stressed or tired in the process.
So, when you’re looking at ways to create that stress-relieving office we’re all aiming towards, don’t overlook the way in which you add light to your space. Office lighting is important and the more natural light you can get into your space, the more benefits your employees will notice as they go about their working days.