If you were used to working in an office setting before 2020, chances are the recent events have required you to make a few adjustments. You’re not alone. Millions of Americans have had to make the switch to working solely from home and, though reopening has begun, some professionals can still expect this routine for a little longer. For this reason, it’s a great idea to set up a personal office—one that allows you to separate your work from your family life and focus on your responsibilities. Just be sure to use these home office lighting tips for a productive workspace to make the most of this environment.
Use Directed Task Lighting
The type of lighting you use in your office will determine how you feel within that space and, likewise, how productive you’re going to be. Because of this, we recommend that you use directed task lighting in your designated working areas rather than overhead ambient lighting. Task lighting focuses a larger saturation of light into a few specific areas, which helps a person hone in on what they’re doing and keeps their mind concentrated on that job. You can even amplify this effect by choosing the right lighting fixture for the room’s design.
Install Dimmers
However, it’s also important to note that just because bright, concentrated light helps you stay focused some of the time, there’s going to be instances in which you tire more quickly. Over a period of several hours, bright, uninterrupted light can actually begin to drain your energy, making it harder to keep up with our work later in the day and causing our minds to crash. But by installing a dimmer for your lighting system, you can adjust the intensity of your office lighting to accommodate how you’re feeling.
Arrange Lighting Carefully
When placing your lighting fixtures in a home office, be careful with how you position them and where you direct their light. Many people consider picture lighting in interior design to be a great way to highlight any favorite artwork pieces displayed on the walls. While it’s best to have as much light concentrated to your working space as possible, you want to ensure that the fixtures aren’t too close to you. Since fixtures can heat up if you leave them on for long periods, keeping them a small distance away is advisable. Additionally, moving them a little bit away from the working area increases the coverage of the light and maximizes the space’s usefulness.
Don’t Forget to Include Natural Light
Another important home office lighting tip for a productive workplace is to also include natural light in the space. Though artificial light will make up most of the light in your office, it’s not the healthiest for our eyes. Natural light supplies us with vitamin D through our skin and illuminates a room without the potentially damaging blue light from our computer screens. Sunlight can even help us reenergize our bodies to push through the last bit of work for the day. As such, this type of lighting is a key component of an effective work environment.
