The number of people working from home grows every day. Whether you work part-time or full-time, you need a functionally decorated private nook. Commercial offices are all about functionality and effectiveness, ambiance and atmosphere are not a priority. So, it’s different when you decide to turn a part of your home into a workplace. You have to be careful so it doesn’t stand out too much from the rest of the interior. Also, not everyone is lucky enough to have a spare room to use as an office. You’ll want to create a private space that both reflects your personality and has a positive effect on your work performance.
The Importance of Quality Work Lights
Proper lighting is essential because both too much or not enough light can have a negative impact on you. Poor lighting can lead to eyestrain, fatigue, and headaches. Too much light, on the other hand, can cause “glare” headaches and stress. A research conducted by International Labour Organization shows that improved lighting reduces errors by 30% and boosts productivity by 10%. Here’s how to set it up properly
Making the Right Choice
When choosing the best artificial light for your home office, you are presented with a lot of options. Ambient lights create comfortable atmosphere which makes you feel relaxed. This can be achieved just by conveniently positioning the regular lamps. Task lamps create a form of spotlight. They emphasize certain corners and give you focused illumination. Overhead lighting is great for a larger space. Big pendants, for example, can be a quite trendy addition to your home interior. Possibilities are numerous – it’s all up to you.
Picking the right colour temperature can also be a rocky path. Light sources in your home office should be similar in colour temperature so make sure your recessed LED downlights are at warm Kelvin temperature (2700k-3500k). Another advantage of LED lighting is that it uses far less energy and lasts much longer than traditional light sources.
Don’t Forget Daylight
If you’re already have to spend a beautiful day inside because of your work, at least try to do it by the window. As diurnal creatures, we humans are programmed to be awake while the sun is shining, and in bed during the night. Exposure to daylight helps produce melatonin. It’s a hormone vital to our body’s health because it controls our “circadian rhythms” also known as our daily body clock. Serotonin is also affected by the exposure to the daylight. Known as the “hormone of happiness”, moderate levels of serotonin result in positive mood. You can read more about how daylight affects us here.
If your work doesn’t include working on the computer all the time, sunlight is a must. But even if you do stare at the computer screen for eight hours, natural light can help enhance focus. It improves the ambiance of every room and it’ll help you stay awake. Note that you shouldn’t be sitting facing a window. The outer world can distract you, and the contrast between your computer screen and window brightness can be stressful for your eyes. As we mentioned before, too much light can cause “glare” headaches. Shades or blinds are a great way of controlling how much light you want to let in. They come in various shapes and colors, and serve as a fancy addition to your desired home design.
Now go back to your home office, examine it thoroughly and see what you can do to improve it. Maybe it’s not a writer’s block you’re going through – maybe you just need to sit by a window or move that desk lamp a bit. Try a few different approaches and see what works best for you and your productivity.
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