The great outdoors is a space I find myself going to for creative thinking and to restore energy and to release tension after a busy day.
I know I’m not alone and as human beings we tend to know what is good for us and naturally gravitate towards nature.
Given the choice it’s the kind of space most of us wish to spend time in and look forward to weekends and holidays that include more opportunities to do this. So, is it any wonder then that we have a problem which manifests itself both in mental and physical ill health from being cooped up indoors, without natural light?
With poor lighting you are more likely to notice stress increase through the day and a feeling of general fatigue.
It’s not hard to understand why when exposed to poor lighting we just don’t have great ideas, or the ideas take a whole lot longer to form. Many poorly lit work spaces interfere with our creative thinking, productivity and the feelings that we need to be motivated. The result is hefty price to pay for both businesses and for the people in them.
Imagine the impact of lighting in hospitals, places of healing, rehabilitation, care and learning. An essential element of life that requires our urgent attention but for the most part has been overlooked because of cost or perhaps ignorance.
With poor lighting you are more likely to notice stress increase through the day and a feeling of general fatigue. It’s both tiring and stressful to be under these testing conditions, day in and day out.
In the UK many office workers are leaving for work in the dark and returning to the same. Their time under artificial lighting is literally toxic.
Increasing natural light
1. Position seating and desks near a window
2. Find solutions that mimic natural light
3. Have walking meetings. Standing for 20 minutes in small groups are better for those light bulb moments
4. Take a break outside
5. Talk to HR about making daylight breaks part of company policy
6. Seek advice about better lighting options
Time and resources need to be given to address this problem. If we ignore it, we do so at our peril. Take a plant and light it poorly, you’ll soon see the consequences. The consequences for business are its people, the very people who are the business.
Just remember how good you feel after time outside and imagine the accumulative effect in your work space. Isn’t it time your business took action about the lighting your people spend so much time working under
