How important is daylight in the home office?

Why daylight in the home office has a decisive influence on our performance....

For many people, work has shifted from the office to the home office. Due to the pandemic, a large number of us had to set up our home office quickly and sporadically in order to be able to work from home at all.
In addition to an individually adjustable desk and office chair, the lighting conditions, especially natural daylight in the home office, play an important role in ergonomics in the workplace for long and, above all, concentrated work. Because if you or your eyes get tired, it has a direct impact on your performance and the results of your work.

It is therefore important to place the table in your home office so that daylight can ideally come in without blinding you. In addition, an additional artificial light source should always be provided to ensure optimal lighting in the home office even in the evening or in cloudy weather.

Daylight in the home office as the key to better performance?

Daylight or natural light is important for the human organism and human well-being. Daylight controls many processes in the human body, including the production of hormones Control of the sleep-wake rhythm. Numerous studies also show that people who work in daylight are significantly more productive.

For this reason, the room in which you work from home should definitely have sufficient daylight. Special daylight lights that simulate natural sunlight are particularly suitable here (Human Centric Lighting) and support the human biorhythm. The ability to individually adjust the light to your personal working hours means that there is sufficient natural light in the office even at late hours.

So what has to be considered with artificial light in the office?

When purchasing your office lighting, you should opt for daylight lamps that simulate natural sunlight and provide sufficient light at the desk. as Daylight lamps apply lamps with a color temperature above 5300 Kelvin, which ideally can be additionally regulated and adapted to the course of daylight. In addition, according to the prescribed DIN standard, the luminaire should have an illuminance of at least 500 Lux achieve. However, based on experience, we recommend choosing a much higher illuminance. Finally, it is important to ensure that artificial lamps do not flicker and are installed in such a way that they do not dazzle. To save energy, modern LED lamps are recommended, as in practice they prove to be significantly more economical than halogen lamps, for example.

In summary, daylight in the home office has an activating and performance-enhancing effect on people and is therefore an important factor for ergonomics in the workplace. By considering a few basic principles when lighting your desk, you can benefit from the positive effects of natural light and work long hours and concentrate, even from home.

Summary tips

Summary tips for the correct use of natural light in the home office

Tip

Supplement the natural daylight in the home office with artificial light sources for sufficient light at the desk (at least 5300 Kelvin and a high illuminance of at least 500 lux).