Wellness & Safety

We have all heard how important sleep is to our everyday lives; our health, energy, mood, and patience are all affected by the quality of sleep we get. Not to mention there are various studies linking things like weight and memory to the quality of sleep as well . For these reasons and more, tips for good sleep can be a crucial component to improving the overall health and success of you and your family.

Kids are shown to struggle more during school and in their social lives when they are not receiving appropriate sleep. And while we do what we can to get them in bed on time, it often seems difficult to do much more than that to ensure they are actually sleeping through the night.

To help you out, we have compiled a short list of simple, yet effective tips for good sleep to make sure that you and your family get quality sleep night after night. Don’t worry, we’re not going to suggest that the simple fix is meditation or counting sheep. Ultimately, we know that when utilized, these tips and tricks can improve overall health potentials and keep your crew in their best moods, ready to tackle anything that comes their way.

So here we go, 5 tips for good sleep:

#1: Expose Yourself to Bright Light During the Day

First things first, during the day you need to be soaking up the sun. We all know that exposure to sunlight can benefit our health from the Vitamin D our skin produces in response to it. But what you may not have thought about before, is how natural bright light can affect your body’s circadian rhythm.

Basically, your body keeps an internal clock, that milestones throughout the day help keep on track. Aka: sunrise, noon, and sunset. Your body naturally finds it easier to sleep when it’s dark and awake when it’s light whether you’ve had a full 8 hours or not.

Additionally though, when you are exposed to bright light throughout the day, especially in the morning, your body finds it easier to experience a deeper and more satisfying sleep the next night. And if that’s not enough to convince you, “disrupting this circadian rhythm has also been linked to medical issues like depression, obesity, breast and prostate cancer, and cardiovascular disease.”

If you are like a lot of us and find it difficult to experience a sufficient amount of natural bright light during the day in between work, while taking care of kids, etc. there are other ways to keep your circadian rhythm on track. Certain types of light therapy are able to mimic sunlight by using bright white artificial lights that generate up to 10,000 lux.

#2: Watch Your Late Night Snacks

Our next tip for great sleep has to do with what you are consuming late in the day and into the evening. This may seem obvious, but caffeine is a real negative after mid-day. Although different people react to caffeine differently, it can stay in your blood for up to 6-8 hours and can heighten your awareness and focus, making it difficult to doze off. We hate to say it, but any coffee after 3-4pm should be decaf.

Food can affect sleep as well. People argue that eating late night snacks just prior to bed can actually make it harder to sleep. The type of food you’re eating can also make a difference, but this varies from person to person. Sometimes, high-carb snacks may put a person right to sleep. But in other cases, especially when a person is not used to a high-carb diet, it can make it more difficult.

Finally, stay away from gulping down water right before bed. Although it seems like a healthy habit to end your day with hydration, your body may wake itself up during the night having to run to the loo.

#3: Beware of Negative Light Exposure Before Bed

If you haven’t heard by now, the negative effects of blue light exposure, that’s a whole story in itself. We’re focused on how blue light exposure just before bed can affect your ability to fall asleep, though. The same things that make blue light so beneficial to staying awake during the day, make it terrible for sleeping. Natural and artificial light with blue wavelengths improves attention and mood, increasing alertness. This is not what you want right before bed. Save your entertainment and social media fix for before you get into your bed. Avoid screens and fluorescent/LED lighting as soon as you start winding down.

Other artificial lights can be negative as well. As previously discussed, your body wants darkness when it’s sleeping, because it sends a signal to the brain to decrease levels of melatonin, preparing you to snooze. Because of this, it’s really horrible on your quality of sleep if you keep the lights on. However, even smaller amounts of light such as dim lamps and the glow of your alarm clock can be negative.

#4: Stick to a Schedule

No one wants to hear this tip for good sleep, because it means committing to going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day. While this may feel limiting, it really frees you up to feel like your best self each and every day. Avoid hitting the snooze button, and commit to a single alarm so that you can experience your deepest sleep for as long as possible before the time comes.

Another trick is incorporating a relaxation time into this schedule. If yoga and meditation aren’t your things, there’s plenty of other options. Have a meaningful conversation with your spouse or family to get all your thoughts from the day off your chest BEFORE getting into bed. Sit and listen to some relaxing music. Even one or two songs can make a difference. Whatever it takes to rid your mind of any nagging thoughts, plan to do it every day and before getting ready to sleep.

#5: Optimize Your Sleep Environment

There are dozens of tips for good sleep, but this is our favorite. Your bedroom absolutely needs to be optimized for sleeping. Many people argue that that’s, in fact, the only thing it should be designed for. Avoid your bed until you’re actually going to sleep, and then make sure your surroundings are set up to help you get the rest you deserve. Some of these have been mentioned, but this is the culmination of all the best sleep factors, put into effect in the place where it all happens. Be intentional about the temperature, external lights, amount of noise, and furniture arrangement that are going on in your bedroom.

Choose lamps that aren’t too bright don’t emit blue light. Charge your phone in a place where it won’t light up and wake you in the middle of the night. Drown out excess noise with a calming noisemaker when necessary, and keep your room cool. If you’re struggling with the decor of your room and setting it up as an optimal space for sleep, look to lighting and design experts for help. This is anything but a waste, in the long run, to help you and your family receive great sleep each and every night.

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So that’s it! Well, of course, there are always additional tips for good sleep, but we truly believe that if you really commit to using these 5 to create healthy habits and a supportive home environment, you will improve you and your family’s overall relationship with sleep.
There are some habits you’ll have to break yourself, to improve your nightly slumber. But if you’re concerned about how the light in your home is affecting the sleep of you or your family, let us at Hobrecht Lighting, help. Let us help you find the perfect lighting solutions that will increase the health and happiness of your family.

About Us

Based on the Danish concept of hygge and lighting science principles, Hobrecht Lighting creates lighting systems that noticeably improve safety and wellness in your home by reducing visual strain, enhancing visibility, and improving sensory experiences.

At Hobrecht Lighting, we utilize different angles, brightness, and colors of lighting throughout the day, imitating the natural light cycles of the sun, to introduce a healthier form of lighting that increases the happiness in your home. Ultimately, this makes your space more welcoming, cozy, and joy-filled for you and your family.

Start Your Healthy Lighting Journey Today!

Workspaces are optimized in many ways to ensure hard work and efficiency are taking place within them. However, one aspect that employers and workers alike often neglect, is the lighting in an office or working environment. It is actually quite simple to improve your focus at work by selecting the proper types of lighting for your specific space. Poor lighting can cause a strain on your eyes that you may not even notice day to day. However, insufficient lighting can cause issues like headaches, irritability, and visual fatigue, that affect your ability to concentrate on work and negatively affect productivity. There are a variety of simple solutions that can help you improve your focus at work and optimize efficiency without changing any other habits other than the lights surrounding you! Lighting color, distance, and position can all be adjusted to optimize focus based on your work atmosphere.

We have broken these tips into the 3 types of light you should be aware of in your work environment. When you are aware of these types of lights and the way they affect your productivity, you can optimize them to improve your focus at work. So let’s cut right to it!

3 Types of Light to Improve Your Focus at Work:

#1: Natural Light

Natural daylight is the best kind of light you can have during a workday or while trying to focus on a task. In an office or home, this often comes in the form of sufficient windows and skylights.

Color temperature is a great way to tell the difference between the appearance of light coming from different fixtures versus the outdoors. Color temperature is measured in Kelvin and ranges from warm white lights which are cozy and relaxing (2000-3000K), up to daylight which is cool, crisp, and energizing (4600-6500K). These higher color temperatures reach their peak naturally at around noon and actually have a larger impact on mental activity, alertness, and the central nervous system. This range of cooler light temperature 5000K+ is great for working because it is bright and invigorating without putting a strain on your eyes.

However, because most offices do not have proper natural lighting, and those that do find it hard to ensure this light is consistent throughout the year and at different times of the day, offices cannot rely solely on having impressive natural lighting. If you are hoping to improve your focus at work, take note or how much natural light you get and follow these tips to supplement with additional types throughout the day:

#2: Cool LED Lighting

When natural light is harder to come by, there are some lights better at mimicking its beneficial effects than others. Bright white LED light can improve your focus at work the same way that natural lighting can. Most obviously, artificial light is crucial in making vision more clear in a work environment where you’re switching from something that many be easier to see like a computer screen, to a plain, unlit piece of paper. However, choosing bright artificial lighting with cooler color temperatures can imposter natural light in a way that also keeps your circadian rhythm on track and ensures you are alert during the middle of the day when you need to perform at your best.

You see, the amount of blue light emitted from a fixture increases as the color temperature does. So when we talk about cooler light, we’re referring to lights that are 5000K+, also sometimes referred to as blue light. If you’ve heard of blue light as being negative, it’s likely because of its ability to keep you from sleeping at night. This is because your body is not meant to want to sleep in the middle of the day when the light outside is at this color temperature. While blue light isn’t good right before bed because it stimulates alertness and reduces drowsiness, that is exactly what makes it great for improving focus!

So how do you apply this to your workspace? To give your body the perception of daylight and keep your brain alert and high-functioning, we suggest choosing overhead lighting that is higher than 5000K. Your overhead lighting should also disperse light evenly throughout the space to ensure you’re not straining your eyes from switching for one brightness to another. If you have direct control over your lighting in say a home office, we suggest installing a light dimmer so that you can bring down the brightness when you are getting it from other sources (daylight or a computer screen).

This type of light is one that you are able to have more control over than the natural light you get in your workspace. However, often times in a work environment, you do not have complete control over the types of overhead lighting in your space. While there are many reasons for office spaces to switch to LED lighting, it’s often out of your hands. Therefore, once again, it’s important for you to take note of the balance of natural and overhead light you do have access to and learn how to make your own adjustments where you can, to improve your focus at work.

#3: Task Lighting

Finally, if you’ve found that the previously mentioned light sources are out of your control, task lighting is the kind that you can actually go to the store today and purchase to help improve concentration in your workspace. We’re talking, desk lamps, swing arm overhead spots, wall-mounted lights, under-cabinet lighting, table lamps, and even book lights. No matter what you’re working on, there’s a task light that can be tailored to your activity to ensure your lighting is doing as much to help you get the job done as possible.

Tips for task lighting include paying attention to where you are placing your fixture. You most often want your lighting to come from behind you without any visual disruptions from other things. Take into consideration if you are right or left handed so that your arm is not casting a shadow upon your work. If you are older you may want to look for a brighter lamp. However, if you work solely on a computer, a consistent low level light is better to not strain your eyes. Make sure your task lighting covers your entire workspace, again, so you are not switching from one brightness to another. LED task lights are great for this because they tend to have the most controlled beams of light.

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The perfect lighting balance can sometimes be hard to find on your own. Maybe you are unsure of how to apply this balance to your workspace when you can only control one type of lighting. Or maybe you’re more stressed about designing a new space from scratch, unsure of how to best optimize it to improve your focus and efficiency. Whatever your situation is, professionals at Hobrecht Lighting are more than happy to help. From suggesting different color temperatures for different home and office spaces, to customizing lighting solutions for every type of person, we care about far more than beautiful lighting. We care about how it works to improve your everyday life.

About Us

Based on the Danish concept of “hygge”, the idea that coziness and comfort lead to contentment and total well-being, we recognize the ways in which lighting can impact our everyday lives. Hobrecht Lighting creates lighting systems that noticeably improve safety and wellness in your home by improving sensory experiences, reducing visual strain, and enhancing visibility.

At Hobrecht Lighting, we utilize different colors, brightness levels and angles of lighting at different times of the day to mock the natural light cycle. Ultimately, we are excited to show you how this can make your space more welcoming, cozy, and joy-filled for you and your family.

Find the Perfect Lighting Solution for Your Home or Office

Thanks to old age and plenty of other conditions, bad eyesight is far too common. Some of us here at Hobrecht Lighting suffer from it, too! Surprisingly, home lighting has significant influence in improving (or worsening) one’s vision. So though your home lighting likely has great style, it may not be functional for struggling eyes.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to light for function and style. In fact, having the right home lighting can make details clearer and reduce the need for magnification. Improving home and office lighting can simplify everyday tasks and ease vision strain, so try applying a few of these easy tips! 

1. Use Natural Light Whenever Possible

The first suggestion is to be in natural light at every possible opportunity. Sunlight provides a soothing, bright light that maximizes vision and improves mood. For flexible activities like crossword puzzles, reading, or even homework, place a chair in natural lighting and enjoy the benefits of the brightness.

2. Switch to LED Bulbs

Aside from sunlight, the next best lighting option is LED bulbs. They provide bright light, last for hours, and come in a variety of cooler tones than incandescents. LED lights last thousands of hours so you won’t need to worry about replacing them after they’re purchased.

3. Increase the Number of Lights

Another simple way to boost your lighting is to increase the quantity of lights in the home. Lamps are a great way to start, since they require no structural changes. Remember, when putting lamps in a room, maintain consistent light throughout the space to avoid having dark spots. Also note that lamps with exposed bulbs will increase the glare, so avoid those when possible.

4. Use Lamp and Lighting Timers

Prevent any stumbling around in the dark by putting your lamps and task lighting on a timer. These automatic timers can turn on lights in the times they’re needed the most, lighting key areas. They prevent extra difficulties because without unexpected dark hallways or rooms, the eyes don’t have to adjust from lit rooms to dark spaces.

5. Maximize Task Lighting

Consider your frequent tasks. We’ve been around lighting long enough to know that there’s always some type of lighting that can make those tasks easier! There are adjustable lamps that illuminate your specific task, like a gooseneck lamp. Hanging fixtures can also be pointed at desks, chairs, or other areas. You might even need less magnification because of the better illumination!

Keep in mind, these tips may not work for every eye condition, but they’ve helped us! You can always contact us, or a vision specialist, to determine what type of lighting will be most beneficial for your unique circumstances. 

It‘s no secret that there are a number of factors can affect your focus at work: from loud office banter to the slight humming of a computer. However, even after addressing the most common distractions, you may still find that your productivity at work is not where it should be. This may be because you’ve completely ignored one of the most significant factors that affect productivity: light. But before you start changing out your light bulbs, read on to find out exactly what you can do to address the productivity killer that’s been looming over your head (literally).

Importance of Lighting

1. The type of light you have around you while working significantly affects your ability to focus and work efficiently. The human body is very sensitive to light and the way it is used can make or break your output at work.
2. If you’re working from home, the light you use during the day may affect your ability to get good rest at night, which, in turn, can affect your focus at work the next day.
3. The wrong lighting can cause eye strain, leading to tiredness and headaches.

What You Can Do

Before you learn what can be done to improve your focus at work, it is important to understand how light works. Light is measured by temperature in a system referred to as Kelvin (K). This system uses numbers to convey the color that is emitted when an object reaches a certain temperature. When objects are heated, they usually go through a range of colors: red, orange, yellow, white, then bluish white. Following the pattern of how color is seen on a spectrum, the lower the temperature of the object, the “warmer” the color and the higher the temperature, the “cooler” the color.

Lower temperatures usually measure no more than 3000 K while higher temperatures start at 4600 K and go up. Color temperatures in the middle (3100 K—4600 K) usually give off a cool white.

There are four main types of light sources most commonly used in office settings: natural, fluorescent, incandescent, and LED. All of these light systems can be measured in Kelvin, and all can help improve your focus at work in one way or another.

Natural Light

Since sunlight is considered the most natural light source, natural light refers to sunlight and any other light that very closely replicates the approximate 5,000 K to 6,000 K given off by the sun. No matter how close the Kelvin measurement is, the sun’s light is incomparable and is always recommended for work environments when possible.

Fluorescent Light

Fluorescent light often measures around 3000 K and is likely a reason why your productivity may have slowed. Despite the consistent reports of health issues, fluorescent light is still one of the most commonly used types of light in work spaces. Since it is a dimmer light, it often causes eye strain and can be hard to see in (especially if it flickers). Straining your eyes leads to headaches and migraines and is another distraction you certainly don’t need at work. If fluorescent lights are used, opt for brighter bulbs instead.

Incandescent Light

While they are the least energy efficient light, incandescent lights haven’t been known to negatively affect the body as much as fluorescent lights. However, like other light sources, they can come in a range of color temperatures. This provides a great deal of options for residential and commercial spaces, but for work environments, we recommend choosing a light in the higher color range (about 4600 K) so you can stay as alert as possible.

LED Light

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small, but super efficient device that produces light with semiconductors and electroluminescence. LED light offers a wide range of color temperatures (about 2700 – 7000 K), making them a popular choice for residential and professional spaces alike. However, if you plan on using them at work, we recommend opting for a cooler light so you can stay alert and focused while on the job.

Natural Light vs. Artificial Light

Natural light is ideal, but is not always an option depending on your work location. Artificial lights are commonly used for this very reason. However, they are often dim lights, which means they affect the body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that causes you to feel sleepy. Natural, bright light from the sun usually inhibits the melatonin production process. This is why we work when the sun is up and sleep when it’s down—and why you may feel sluggish on a rainy day.

Artificial light can also affect the amount of cortisol in the body. If your body doesn’t have enough of this stress-regulating hormone, you may feel more stressed than is helpful for effective performance, causing you to feel tired.

Blue Light

As a shorter, faster wavelength, blue light produces more energy than most common types of light. Claims have been made about blue light negatively affecting sleep and overall quality of life. However, although it has been the subject of many health debates, there are claims that it stimulates the brain more than other kinds of light. It’s why going outside when you’re feeling drowsy can actually help wake you up a bit.

Having some blue light can actually be good for you. It’s not common knowledge that blue light also comes from the sun, but just as some of the sun’s rays actually does the body good, so does allowing some blue light while working—a study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital shows that exposure to blue light during work actually helps you stay more awake and alert and improves your focus at work. When it comes to the light bulbs installed in your workspace, use blue-tinged lights in areas where you want to brainstorm and come up with new ideas, as the bluer lights will keep your brain more alert.

Since there is still some evidence that blue light can throw off your body’s circadian rhythm, we recommend using blue light glasses after sunset if you’re going to be using any devices like laptops, smart phones, and tablets. You may even notice that long-term exposure to blue light or blue-tinged fluorescent light during the day also affects your ability to sleep. If this is the case for you, we recommend wearing blue light glasses as often as you need and for as long as you need during your time at work.

Individual Needs

If you have sensitive eyes, you might find that you may need to choose an even warmer light than the typical mid-range type in order reduce the amount of strain on your eyes. It’s all about finding your productivity sweet spot. Just as some people might function better when listening to music and some prefer complete silence, you may be surprised to find that dimmer lights put you in deeper thought and actually allow you to work better, while bright lights affect your creativity. The type of job you have, your work environment, and your personal preference should all be taken into consideration when optimizing your space to improve your focus at work.

Hobrecht Lighting offers a wide variety of light types to fit your needs and help you work productively no matter the location. Choose from numerous fixture options to get the look you want for any space. You’ll see a huge difference in your productivity and overall well-being.

About Us

Hobrecht Lighting does more than just make your home beautiful. We provide lighting solutions patterned after the sun’s natural light cycle. In line with the Danish principle of “hygge”, our lights adjust with you, so you can feel a sense of comfort and coziness throughout the day. As the lights change throughout the day, your safety, visual acuity, and wellness are enhanced.

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Have you ever asked yourself ‘why do I have a headache’ when you’ve been in the house all day? It could be caused by external or internal factors including physical health deficiencies, bright light, loud noises, or allergens and strong odors.

At Hobrecht Lighting, we spend a lot of time in-store helping you choose the perfect lighting for your home or space. Quality lighting can make a significant difference in your overall physical, mental, and emotional health. We realize lighting is not the only way to minimize the number of headaches you get at home; therefore, we have searched for some other triggers. It is our goal to help you feel better and live a healthier life.

Discover how you can reduce the number of headaches you get at home by finding what headache triggers you experience consistently within the walls of your home. The following are common triggers to change or avoid to prevent future pain.

Physical Health and Attributes

Participating in consistent physical exercise and drinking enough water everyday can help minimize the flooding question of ‘why do I have a headache’? Your physical health and attributes play a major role in how your body functions.

Headaches might be caused by light sensitivity; therefore, the color of your eyes could influence whether or not you get a pounding feeling and pain inside your head. If you have lighter colored eyes you might be more prone to experience light sensitivity in environmental situations like bright sunlight. A darker eye color, on the other hand, has more pigment which makes it so there is some protection against harsh lighting environments.

Recommendations for physical health:

• Stay hydrated by drinking water every day to prevent headache pain by listening to your body
• Get a sufficient amount of sleep every night and do not sleep in odd positions to avoid muscle spasms, which cause headaches
• Participate in physical exercise regularly and decrease inflammation applying a cold compress to your head or neck

Light

Different types of light give off different levels of intensity, impacting your overall health. Flickering, bright, glaring, and fluorescent lights can cause sensitivities from repeated exposure and leave you wondering “why do I have a headache?”

Some additional physical and emotional symptoms you might develop from extreme light exposure include but are not limited to: eye pain, blurred vision, eye inflammation, eye strain, dizziness, anxiety, depression, and many other symptoms.

The type of light also plays a factor in how your eyes react and whether or not you get a headache. Blue, white, red, or amber light can increase intensity; whereas, green light can decrease it.

Everyday exposure to electronic screens, overhead lights, and even sunlight, can become headache triggers. Evaluate how much light you are absorbing.

Suggestions for eye relief:

• Turn down mobile phone, tablet, or computer screen brightness and limit electronic use
• Change the light bulbs used in your home to LED or softer light options
• Implement dimmer switches or use candle light
• Install blinds, shutters, or shades on your windows to filter natural light at peak daylight times

Sound

Repetitive sounds or continuous noise can influence whether or not your head starts pounding. It could even leave you asking: “why do I have a headache?” because sometimes it is relentless. You would do anything to seek relief. White noise is everywhere.

Living in a world full of chatter, construction, and children it can be difficult to tune it all out and be productive. Unnoticed most of the time, the voices on the television shout throughout your home, followed by the videos streamed on social media, and the natural clicks of the clock – noise is overwhelming, not just loud.

Recommendations for ear relief:

• Alone time – quiet time, read a book or participate in a concentration activity to distract your mind from the pain
• Turn the television or streaming services
• Wear headphones or listen to calming music to tune out loud noises when trying to focus

Airborne Allergens and Smells

Seasonal factors, such as airborne allergens can leave you asking ‘why do I have a headache?”

You could be getting a headache from hay fever, food allergies, or odors throughout your home. Specific allergens can have symptoms similar to a sinus infection or cold; however, it can be minimized by staying inside when the pollen is in season and deep cleaning your home.

Consistently remove mold spores, pollen, dust, dirt, and pet dander by cleaning your house and get you back to enjoying your daily routine. Remember to check the air flow throughout your house as well by switching out your filters.

Odors can influence a pounding head. Empty the trash, do laundry, and use unscented household products regularly to reduce headaches caused by smells. You can get a headache from odors because the pain receptors in the brain become stimulated causing them to dilate or swell, arousing the nervous system and making you experience pain, nausea, or sickness.

Recommendations for allergen and nose relief:

• Ditch hidden allergens including dust and mites by applying a mattress cover to your bed
• Wash your hands regularly, especially if you have an indoor pet or are exposed to one
• Implement or add an air purifier to your bedroom or common spaces to filter out dust, dirt, mold, bacteria, and other allergens
• Use fragrance-free lotions, soaps, and perfumes and minimize the number of air fresheners within your home

Headache triggers are different for everyone, so find what works best for you and free yourself from asking: ‘why do I have a headache?’ Seek relief by making small changes throughout your home.

To reduce the number of headaches you experience try implementing hygge, a Danish principle, into your home. Add lighting systems that imitate the natural light cycle of the sun. Through implementing strategic lighting fixtures throughout your home, depending on the time of day will improve your health by making living spaces more enjoyable and comfortable.

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About Us

Visit Hobrecht Lighting to start adding to a wishlist or view the hundreds of light fixtures we have in stock. We want to help you find the right lighting, as it should do more than just brighten your home. Hobrecht Lighting can assist you in implementing the perfect lighting to improve your overall health. Visit a showroom at one of our locations for a local lighting experience or shop online.

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Offices are hectic enough. Even when all you can hear are busy fingers typing, it can still be difficult to focus. Often, we associate focus with sound or the lack thereof, but what about light? Believe it or not, the lighting in your office significantly impacts your ability to concentrate and work productively. So, we’re giving you three light hacks to get you back to working hard and staying focused.

Play with Color (Temperature)

Hobrecht Lighting is built on the idea that the way we function is significantly impacted by the way light looks at different times of the day. The sun’s natural light looks different at dusk than it does at noon and at twilight. That’s why we believe it’s so important to have your lighting environment reflect this natural pattern so your body’s circadian rhythm can work as it should.

It shouId go without saying that using actual colored lights is harder on your eyes than plain white light. If you work in an office environment, chances are that you aren’t using any colored lights. If there are colored lights, be sure that it isn’t the only source of light for the entire room. Colored lights can be harder to see in and can cause eye strain. Strained eyes often lead to painful headaches that can be a major distraction when working. To avoid discomfort and improve productivity, use white lights while working.

When it comes to white lights, there are still a few choices of “colors” that can be used. These colors are dependent on the temperature of the light, which is measured in Kelvin. A warm white light measures about 2000 K – 3000 K, cool white light falls around 3100 K – 4500 K, and light resembling daylight is about 4600 K – 6500 K.

Most bulbs come in a few cool and warm variations and people often choose from these options based on personal preference, but it’s important to be informed when making such a decision. Cooler white light works best when working at a computer or reading for extended periods of time.

Not only does it provide visual clarity, but since it most closely resembles the bright morning and afternoon sunshine, it also helps you stay alert, which helps improve productivity. Daylight bulbs mimic the natural light and can help you feel more awake at your desk. If you have sensitive eyes, a warmer white light can help reduce eye strain while still keeping you alert while you work. We recommend purchasing a few LED bulbs at different color temperatures to see which ones work best for you.

Find Your Happy Place

The location of a light source is just as important as the light itself. If you’re working with natural light, keep in mind that it is not always reliable and can change depending on the time of day and the time of year. A bright, artificial light may be necessary to improve productivity and keep you in the best of moods.

Whether you’re in a corner office or a central cubicle, adding task lighting can help improve productivity. Task lighting is an addition to ambient lighting and offers better clarity for things such as reading and writing.

If your workspace doesn’t have task lights installed, a small desk lamp can help keep your personal space bright and keep you focused while working. We offer a huge selection of different bulb types that work great for task lighting and offer focused brightness and clarity that other bulbs don’t.

Ensure your efforts to add light don’t end up hindering your productivity instead. Light, while helpful for improving productivity, can also be a distraction if used incorrectly. When adding light at your desk, be sure to place it on the side opposite your dominant hand so you can avoid distracting shadows while working.

Computer glare can also be distracting but can be avoided by moving the light from behind you or adjusting the height or tilt of your computer monitor. Avoid having light—natural or artificial—pointed directly at your computer screen.

Keep a Safe Distance

Similar to location, distance plays a large role in your ability to stay productive at work. Ideally, the light in your environment should cover the entire room. If there are dim areas of the room, more light is needed. Alternatively, if there are parts of the room receiving significantly more light than others, the number of light sources may need to be adjusted.

Keep in mind that the more distance there is between you and the light source, the dimmer the light will be. For permanent fixtures like overhead lighting, opt for a brighter or dimmer replacement if the current one isn’t sufficient. If your task lighting is too bright or dim, moving it farther or closer can significantly affect your focus and improve productivity.

A More Productive You

Finding the right light temperature, location, and distance can drastically improve productivity. Insufficient lighting can lead to impaired visibility, mood changes, and decreased energy at work. For more productive days, stick with natural light and bright artificial light.

Hobrecht Lighting offers an array of bright white overhead, ambient, and task lights that help improve productivity and alertness at work. No matter what light you choose for your workspace, the way you use it can affect your output. So, here’s to a brighter, happier, and more productive you.

About Us

Hobrecht Lighting is committed to offering the healthiest lighting solutions for your home, work, and business. In line with the Danish concept of hygge, our lights adapt with you throughout the day as they follow the sun’s natural light patterns to help you live a happier, healthier life.