On average, Americans spend 90% of their time indoors, and yet, we crave sunlight. This is especially true during the winter months, when many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (appropriately abbreviated to SAD) or the less serious winter blues due to the lack of natural light. When surveyed about what perks employees most wish for in a workplace, natural light and views of the outdoors consistently came out on top.
It’s no wonder – humans aren’t meant to be inside all the time.
For millennia, humans have relied on daylight to determine working and living patterns. Religions worshiped the sun. Yet, with the advent of electric lighting and the modern dependence on artificial light, this has had detrimental impacts on our mental health, physical health, and productivity. In spite of technological advances that allow for people to work and stay up far past when the sun’s gone down, humans still need natural light.
Here is what you need to know about the benefits of natural light and what you can do in order to improve the amount of daylight your home receives.
Health Benefits Of Natural Light
#1. Vitamin D
Sure, you can take vitamin D supplements, but nothing compares to getting it from the sun. Your body needs vitamin D for many reasons, from bone density to cardiovascular health and more. When your skin is exposed to sunshine, it makes vitamin D, helping the functionality of over 200 different genes in our bodies.
#2. Improved Mood
Sunlight causes your body to produce serotonin, aka “the happy chemical”. It also helps with endorphin production – and as Elle Woods says, “Endorphins make people happy!” as they are the “feel-good hormone”.
#3. Keep Your Circadian Rhythm On Track
Your circadian rhythm is your internal clock that tells you when to be alert and when to go to sleep. The more daylight you have, the easier it is to stay on track and get enough sleep. Conversely, the more artificial light you use and the more you use devices with blue light, the harder it is to get good, restful sleep.
#4. Higher Productivity
Sunlight has been shown to increase both concentration and focus, leading to higher levels of productivity. In studies where workers were separated into rooms with lots of daylight versus rooms with none, those exposed to daylight were happier, more productive, and better rested than those who didn’t have enough windows in their space.
#5. Improved Health
Of course, the sun’s UV rays carry risk of skin cancer. But you still need daylight. Using sunscreen as your armor, you can enjoy the health benefits of daylight, such as: a boosted immune system, reduced blood pressure, healthy eye development, weight loss (thanks to higher levels of serotonin and its appetite suppressant effects), better mental function and memory recall, more energy, better sleep… The list goes on and on!
This is just talking about the primary benefits of daylight in your home. We’re not even talking about how the more sunlight your home has, the more valuable it is, the better it is for your plants, the better your energy efficiency, and more!
Ways To Improve Natural Light In Your Home
Unless you’re a character in a SFF book, you can’t control the sun. However, there are still ways in which you can improve the natural light in your home – yes, even in the dead of winter.
- Utilize mirrors. Mirrors are fantastic for reflecting light around your home, and when placed strategically, such as across from your windows, they can almost feel like you have twice as many windows as you actually do.
- Be smart about color choices. It’s perfectly fine if you’re someone who prefers dark, rich colors, but just know that these will make your home feel bleaker. Perhaps that’s your intended vibe, but if you’re wanting to improve natural light in your home, you’ll want to avoid doing this. Using light colors helps to brighten up your space and reflect light around the room.
- Clean your windows. The dirtier your windows are, the harder it is for natural light to get into your home. By simply scheduling a window cleaning, you can brighten up your home greatly.
- Install more windows. This isn’t always realistic or even feasible to do, but if it is for you, adding in more windows in appropriate areas, such as skylight in the ceiling, will certainly improve the natural light in your home.
However, even when you do everything you can, sometimes you can’t get enough natural light in your space. In this case, you’d want to make sure you’re spending as much time outside as possible. Even just having your morning coffee outside can help. So too can exercising by the windows at your gym, taking vitamin D supplements, using light therapy lamps, and other such measures.
Brighten Your Abode With Creekside Windows & Glass
Creekside Windows & Glass is here to help you with all of your window and glass-related needs. Whether you need to schedule a window cleaning, your windows are due for replacement, or you have broken glass in need of repair, count on our experienced professionals to provide you with top-tier service each and every time.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and what we can do for you.
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