A lot of us
prefer to live our lives under the warmth of the sun. Moreover, a survey
conducted by The
Harvard Business Review, confirms just how much natural
daylight means to an average person, especially employees. Moreover, as per the
Future Workplace survey, around 16,000 employees ranked “access to natural daylight and views of the outdoors” as their
number one desire.
The
advantages of natural daylight go beyond the preferences of employees. For
instance, natural daylight in an office space has a plethora of scientifically
-proven benefits.
1. Well-rested employees
are better workers
A study conducted by Northwestern Medicine and the
University of Illinois found that the workers who are exposed to natural light
sleep better (at home) than those who are not. For instance, employees who sit
near the window while working receive 176 per cent more white light. That
roughly translates to 46 minutes of extra sleep.
2. Employees are healthier
As
per the study conducted by the University of Oregon, the view from an
employee’s desk and their exposure to natural light are connected to the number
of sick days they might take. In this study, employees who had a nice view and
received a decent amount of sunlight took 6.5 per cent fewer sick days.
Another study by Cornell showed that
employees exposed to natural daylight experience an 84 per cent drop in health
issues like eye strain, blurred vision, and headaches. These issues can lead to
increased fatigue, and employees who were exposed to less light were more
susceptible to the respective issues.
3. Exposure to natural light makes people happier
The connection between Vitamin D and
natural light is a well-studied phenomenon. Vitamin D can enhance our health in
several ways. It supports our immune system, nervous system, and improves brain
functioning. For instance, even when an employee is working through discomfort
and pain, a little bit of sunlight can enhance their mood and health.
4. Employees might engage more
The World Green Building Council asserts that employee’s feel more engaged
when they work in natural daylight. They are more likely to stay focused on
their tasks and collaborate more with their colleagues. More engagement and
collaboration leads to more productivity and success for the company.
Natural daylight is the best light for humans. It
governs human circadian rhythm and contributes to our health. Not only is it
comfortable on our eyes but it also helps our eyesight. Furthermore, it helps
enhance our mood, energy levels, and happiness that eventually generates a
general willingness to come work at the office.
Unfortunately,
several workplaces have design constraints and cannot truly maximise sunlight in
the given space. And, lack of sunlight leads to employees feeling dull and
demotivating. In order to avoid that, one can lay their trust in inSync™, a Human Centric Lighting (HCL) solution
by Wipro Lighting. It works in harmony with the earth’s
natural lighting cycle and can imitate sunlight inside the workplace which
helps enhance a person’s well-being, mood, concentration and productivity.
