Here at Spaceway, we have noticed that many businesses are beginning to take notice of the effect that the office environment has on their staff. With this in mind, technologies are evolving that could potentially help to improve the health and well-being of office-based employees. One such new idea is the idea of circadian lighting. For a long time, lighting has been pretty standard fare when it comes to offices, but modern technologies offer significant options to optimise the wellness of employees.
Circadian lighting, in its essence, is a means of manipulating the lighting in an office to better suit the physical needs of those in the space. Our bodies go through numerous processes on a daily basis which are governed by an internal clock – the Circadian Rhythm. This rhythm is important to health as it manages the likes of sleep/wake cycles. Traditional office lighting does not take this into account and can have a detrimental effect on those who spend significant periods in the office environment. This effect can be even worse for those who work on shift patterns, as, for instance, they may spend the evening in an ultra-bright area that is against the natural winding down process that would normally precede sleep.
So how does it work? The systems are based on modern LED lighting technology, much like Smart Lighting that is available for use in the home. This allows for a wide range of adjustable colour temperatures that can be optimised to suit the time of day. For instance, your staff will want to be alert in the morning and will require brighter daytime lighting, but as the day wears on, the system is able to reduce the amount of blue light that is emitted from the lights so that employees can adjust towards the late afternoon and evening. While this may seem a bit overkill, many studies have backed the science of the Circadian Rhythm and have shown that differences in colour temperature can make a huge difference to the health and well-being of employees. The main way in which this is achieved is by helping to improve their sleep.
According to a US study, 1 in 3 adults does not get enough sleep. This lack of sleep decreases mental alertness and effectiveness but also increases chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and frequent mental distress. These, clearly, are not ideal outcomes and certainly do not help businesses to maximise their output.
Alternatives To Circadian Lighting
If you aren’t quite ready to spend on one of these lighting systems then there are some other cost-effective options that may help to increase the health and well-being of your employees which we will look at below:
No Caffeine Afternoons – Ok don’t shoot me, I’m just the messenger! While many of us partake in a few (several) cups of coffee in the morning, having caffeine later in the day is known to disrupt the internal body clock. Introducing caffeine-free afternoons could help to make a huge difference to the sleep quality of your employees – though be warned, this may not be popular!
Encourage Employees To Take Their Break Outside – Britons are a nation of non-break takers, but there is plenty of science to back up the idea that we should be. By taking a break away from the desk every so often (even better if it’s taken outdoors – natural light is an important factor of having an optimal internal body clock), employees will be more effective and be able to concentrate better on the task at hand.
Incorporate Natural Light – Many businesses have large windows and then cover them in blinds. Help to offset the potential body clock damaging office lighting by turning it off and opening the windows! Bathing your office in natural light is a very cheap way of helping your employees to be healthier and happier.
How Spaceway Can Help
Health and well-being is a big area of work in the 21st Century. As burnout, fatigue and stress become an ever more normalised life experience, it is important to remember that people perform best when they are happy and healthy. Here at Spaceway, our in-house office design team can help you to maximise this effect by incorporating these ideas into the design of your offices. By bringing a few Circadian Rhythm boosting ideas into the office, you may reap dividends. For more information, call us today on 0800 085 1022 and speak to us about your specialist lighting requirements.