Wednesday, October 7th, 2026, 7:53 am
Lighting and Moods
Filed under: Underappreciated factor
HE days have gotten a lot shorter very fast. It’s already getting partly dark around 6PM and won’t brighten up before 7AM. In the past, when my lifestyle was profoundly different, short days kind of depressed me, e.g. leaving the office at 5PM only to walk outside (outdoors) to see total darkness in late December.
Lighting is very important, not only inside a home (or office) but also outside. Lights impact or define moods.
Too bright a light is not helpful; many offices are very brightly lit, I assume as that’s assessed to have somewhat increased productivity. Bright white light, after all, illuminates things as best as possible. The impact on staff’s emotions seems not to matter.
When I was in university the lights were bright and white (not yellowish) like it was some giant supermarket. I didn’t like that. I wanted to bring my own light.
Another key element or factor is time of work. See “Night Owls Are 70% More Likely to Need a Disability Pension, Study Suggests” (alternative title: “It’s Not Just The Mornings: Night Owls Face a Hidden Cost at Work, Finnish Study Suggests”).
If the priority is happy workers (not just hyper-productive, eventually burned out), should we not expect better lighting arrangements?
