What Are the 7 Benefits of Natural Light in the Office?

Regardless of what your business offers and its size, proper lighting is vital to creating a comfortable and productive office environment. A well-lit workspace can reduce eye strain, headaches, and fatigue. It can also enhance concentration, improve productivity, and boost visual clarity.

While light treatments like fluorescent lighting are essential for an adequately illuminated workspace, that's not the only thing you should prioritize. Therefore, you should bring in more natural light into your office. Besides helping to be more energy efficient, it's the top attribute workers want in their environment.

If you’re serious about improving your employee's overall well-being, this article will explain how natural light can benefit your office.

1. Natural Light Boosts Productivity and Revenue

Productivity and revenue are essential indicators of a company's success. You can maximize these benefits and enhance your employees' well-being by incorporating natural light in the office.

Gas company Pacific Gas & Electric tested the impact of natural light on sales at Walmart by using it as a test subject. When they installed skylights in certain stores while leaving others as is, they aimed to explore how natural lighting influences sales. The stores were all identical in every aspect except for skylights. The study showed that stores with skylights had a 40% increase in sales than those with only fluorescent lighting.

2. It Keeps Your Workers More Engaged

An eco-friendly building council states employees are more productive and collaborative when working in a space with adequate natural lighting. This engagement leads to better focus on tasks and teamwork, resulting in tremendous success and efficiency.

3. Natural Light Increases Your Space’s Value

Office space with adequate natural light is more attractive to people wanting to rent it. They typically rent this workplace for a higher price, about two to four dollars more per square foot than an office space without natural light. A study found that natural light can make an area more spacious and welcoming. In contrast, those without enough natural light usually remain on the market longer.

4. It Helps Minimize Your Utility Costs

Regardless of your company's size and offers, high utility bills can be frustrating and stressful, especially during these times. Unfortunately, that usually happens when you rely too much on artificial light treatments like fluorescent lighting.

While natural light can help reduce costs, you must ensure proper design and window products to prevent heat loss or too much sunlight during hot months.

5. Good Sleepers Equals Better Workers

When employees sleep better at night, they’re more likely to feel motivated and productive, ensuring better business performance, efficiency, and productivity. And you can help them by adding natural light into the workspace.

A study by Northwestern Medicine and the University of Illinois stated that employees working near windows and accessing natural light sleep better and for extended periods. That's because they receive 176% more white light, resulting in an additional 46 minutes of sleep.

6. Natural Lighting Ensures Healthier Employees

Better sleep patterns lead to better overall health. Studies show that having a nice view and exposure to natural light can reduce workers' sick time and health issues. Also, employees exposed to natural light experience a significant drop in problems like headaches, eyestrain, and blurred vision.

7. Healthier Employees Equals a Happier Company

Workers exposed to natural light are happier and more likely to work full-time. That's because natural light helps produce Vitamin D, which can fight severe conditions like depression, diabetes, and chronic pain. Also, health issues can affect workers' demeanor even if they show up for work.

Final Thoughts

All employees and business owners deserve to feel comfortable and productive in their workspace. You can create a conducive work environment by incorporating more natural lighting into the office.

If you’re a business owner wanting to learn more about light treatment, visit our blog! LightVitamin is committed to educating everyone about the significance of adding illumination sources to your diet. Contact us now for more questions!

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