The practice of home office was in the system over the years, but it has strengthened in the post-COVID period. A perfect home office setup is a task that requires a keen eye on things needed for maximum comfort (physical and mental) while working. All you need is a computer, a desk, a comfy chair and ample light. All the items are undoubtedly vital. However, lighting is one of the elements that is essential for better work productivity and better health, especially for the eyes. Eye strain and headache cause immense discomfort in the work, lowering productivity. To boost productivity, proper lighting can’t be ignored, so get the right light set in the home office and get started. Here, we discuss more about the best home office lighting for eyes to enhance efficiency, things to consider when selecting the light and ways to protect eyes.
Importance of Lighting for Home Office
Understanding the importance of home office lighting is damn important because it has an overall impact on your eye health as well as work productivity.
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Proper lighting affects productivity, well-being, sleep patterns, mood and alertness towards work.
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Adequate lighting prevents eye strain, work fatigue and headaches, enhancing the overall output of the work.
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Well-designed lighting adds a pop of visual appeal around the workspace filled with positive and vibrant energy.
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Perfect home office lighting ensures a better sleep pattern, negates the effect of blue light on eyes and improves the colour perception in your work.
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One of the most talked about issues, i.e. mental health, is also boosted.
Things to Consider When Selecting the Home Office Lighting
The same lighting solutions can’t be the perfect fit for all office workspace. It varies based on multiple factors, which we discuss below.
Existing Lighting Conditions
The amount of light around the home office setup immensely affects the lighting needs. If the space has natural light in abundance, additional lighting requirements will be low, whereas the workspace with less natural light needs bright and better lighting solutions.
Type of Work
The type of work hugely impacts the requirement of lighting. For example, if you spend more time on the desk owing to the nature of work, opt for adjustable desk lighting as these lights give an ease to switch between working on a computer and reading short stories or newspapers for a productive short break from the usual task. You won’t have to move around when changing tasks; rather, you can adjust the light accordingly.
Perfect Home Office Lighting for Eyes
The best lighting is the one that soothes your eyes and creates an ambience best suited for increasing productivity. Here are some of the lighting ideas.
Opt for Natural Lighting
Nothing can beat the natural light in a home office setup. Natural light is a boon for the eyes as it reduces eye strain and headache and brightens up the space with its softness, unlike artificial light, which is harsh on the eyes. It also saves energy bills and helps you save more. All you have to do is position the work desk where it gets maximum sunlight.
Task Lighting
As the name suggests, task lighting helps you accomplish the task, be it working on the laptop or writing down on the desk. Task lighting helps focus exactly at the place where it’s needed rather than diluting it to all the areas. The best option in task lighting is a desk lamp which is flexible and comes with varied brightness options to suit any task.
Accent Lights
Accent lights are opted to maintain a perfect balance between form and function. These lights are used to focus on the architectural details and the items placed in the home office, such as personalized collages of photos or artwork, and also to maximize work productivity. There are various options for accent lights in the form of floor lamps, picture lights or wall-mounted lights.
Ambient Light/General Lighting
Low ambient lighting, with its softness, spreads a soothing glow around the workspace to concentrate more on the work. Ambient lighting creates a warm and conducive atmosphere reducing the strain and discomfort to the eyes. It also softens the sharpness of the light.
LED Lights
Setting up LED lights is a smart option for home office setup; however, make sure you select the LED lights with high CRI (colour rendering index) and adjustable colour temperature settings to mimic natural light scenarios. Many LED lights have low CRI and emit excess blue light, which badly affects the eyes and leads to insomnia.
Decorative Lighting
Decorative lighting brings life to the workplace while reducing eye strain at the same time. These lights keep the positive energy circulating in the surrounding, enhancing productivity and mental and physical well-being.
Reflective Surface to Maximize the Lighting
Using reflective surfaces such as mirrors or complete white walls in the workspace is a simple and effective way to maximize the lighting. All you need to do is place the reflective surface on the opposite wall of the workspace to distribute light evenly to minimize the shadow and glare and to improve productivity.
How to Protect Your Eyes From Improper Lighting?
Proper lighting undoubtedly ensures eye protection from harsh lights, but it’s equally important to understand the ways to opt for alternate solutions to protect your eyes from improper lights.
Avoid excess light: Make sure the overhead lighting is not brighter than your screen; otherwise, excess light causes eye strain.
Wear computer eyeglasses: Get your glasses checked from time to time to avoid wearing them with old numbers. Also, enquire about the computer eyeglasses to your doctor.
Avoid sitting close to the screen: Sitting too close to the screen can cause tiredness and blurry vision.
Opt for a high-resolution screen: High-resolution screen gives better comfort to the eyes and avoids fatigue.
Keep the mouse close to the screen: Keeping the mouse far away from the desk will force you to bend frequently towards the screen, adding to the strain.
Sit on a comfortable chair: A comfortable chair gives you the right sitting position and proper distance from the computer screen.
Follow the 20-20-20 rule: An interesting way to ensure better eye health is to follow the rule of 20-20-20, which determines that you take a break every 20 minutes if you are gazing at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Maintain perfect colour temperature: Different colours have different temperatures, so it’s vital to know about them for a better choice. Lower colour temperatures are yellow-toned and warmer, ranging between 2700K - 3000K, whereas higher colour temperatures are blue-toned, varying between 4000K- 6500K. Warmer tones create a more soothing atmosphere.
Conclusion
Selecting the home office lighting is an interesting task, however it requires a proper understanding of the lighting requirement. Home office lighting is vital because it affects productivity, mental and physical health and the sleep pattern. It is advisable to consider all the essential factors affecting the choice of lights.
