Five Ways That Natural Light Improves Productivity in the Workplace
Natural light in the workplace affects a number of health aspects like mood, sleep, vitamin D levels, and eye health–and it heightens productivity levels.
Natural light and views of the outdoors are among the most highly-sought workplace perks, according to a study carried out by HR advisory firm, Future Workplace. This same study also revealed that employees sitting closer to windows are more likely to show up for work, and have increased productivity throughout the day compared to those sitting under artificial light.
Find out just how natural light improves productivity in the workplace.
Mood enhancement
Natural light improves your mood. Those impacted by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) will be familiar with the shift in their frame of mind when the shorter days and darker evenings set in. The reason for this is likely related to the affect that light has on the hypothalamus in the brain, which influences the body’s internal clock and the production of melatonin and serotonin.
Those who are not exposed to a good amount of natural light are more likely to see a drop in their mood, and potentially—as a consequence—their productivity. The same Workplace Wellness study by Future Workplace also found that 38 percent of employees lose 60 minutes of time when their emotional wellness is suffering.
Creativity
Many of those who work in the arts—whether this be writing, painting, singing or other—would agree that natural light is imperative for stimulating creativity. In fact, American author George Bernard Shaw was known for commissioning the construction of a well-lit ‘writer’s hut’, which boasted a mechanical turn table inside. The purpose of the table was to move it according to where the light moved, so he would always be exposed to natural light while he wrote.
To take a leaf from Shaw’s book, so to speak, consider the fact that the creativity and productivity of your workforce could vastly be improved with the installation of large windows which would expose employees to as much natural light as possible.