How Natural Light Can Benefit Teams in the Office

There’s no denying how a bright, sunny morning can put you in a great mood on the way to the office. For most, maintaining that energy is difficult when they enter their building and sit at a cubicle almost entirely hidden from any sight of natural light for most of the day. Whether you initially notice it or not, it can be mentally and physically draining to only be illuminated with artificial light sources throughout the day.

Natural light has an impact on happiness, work satisfaction, and work performance. According to a research survey conducted by Future Workplace, natural light and views of the outdoors were one of the highest ranking attributes of the workplace among North American employees.

Having access to natural light allows employees to maintain the positive energy from that morning sunshine all throughout the day, leading to improved morale, employee performance, and overall well-being.

According to this research study conducted by Cornell University Professor Dr. Alan Hedge, “workers in daylight office environments reported a 51% drop in eye strain, a 63% drop in headaches and a 56% reduction in drowsiness.” Nobody likes midday migraines making the day drag on and there is a strong correlation between exposure to sunlight and improved well-being while in the office. There is even evidence that those who work with access to natural sunlight use less sick time than coworkers without natural sunlight!

How an Open Office Can Help Improve Employee Well-Being

BLADE and BOOST benching systems are great solutions for providing more natural light throughout your office space. Both systems embrace the concept of an open office while providing individuals their own spaces and efficiently maximizing the person-per-room ratio. Using pods of workstations will allow natural light to reach throughout the whole room, providing all employees with the benefits of natural light throughout the day.

Additionally, BOOST benching systems have height-adjustable capabilities which allow users to decide between sitting and standing to complete their tasks. This means that users can take advantage of the benefits from the natural light as well as standing periodically throughout the day.

This ergonomic benching system gives teams highly demanded flexibility while also improving work performance. Using BOOST benching also gives those further away from windows the ability to stand and take advantage of the outdoor views from a distance.

Sources

Harvard Business Review. The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light. https://hbr.org/2018/09/the-1-office-perk-natural-light

Work Design Magazine. Natural Light Has The Biggest Impact On Workers’ Wellbeing.

Natural Light Has The Biggest Impact On Workers’ Wellbeing (workdesign.com)