How Lighting Affects Your Moods and Overall Health
It’s a huge part of your daily life but oftentimes overlooked—light. It serves you in the dead of night during late-night readings and helps your body wake up as the sun shines through. It may not seem like it, but the type of lighting you allow yourself to enjoy affects your mood. If you dig deeper, you’ll find yourself smiling on rare sunny days, feeling more creative with more sunshine inside the room.
At the other end of the spectrum, you may find yourself sulking at the gloomy skies, unable to focus much due to a much too strong pull of your bed. Bear in mind that these instances are not coincidental—the types of light you’re exposed to greatly impact your emotional health and well-being. Here’s how:
Lightning sends you into heightened moments of emotions
Bright lights are often linked to positive emotions but bear in mind that it can also induce negative emotions, sometimes even causing you to feel these unwanted emotions more intensely. In other words, our emotional responses and ruling moods are made more intense after prolonged exposure to bright light.
Researchers postulate that people associate brighter light with heat, which is then a feeling that increases the intensity of emotional reactions. On hot summer days, for instance, you may develop a temper, as your tolerance level will be shorter.
Natural light is believed to help you become healthier
Natural light is associated with good health and well-being, so make it a habit to catch good doses of natural sunlight every morning. Studies have found that people who have windows in their homes and offices are inclined to engage more with physical activity, sleep better, and overall enjoy a happier and more fulfilled life.
Science also states that natural light allows your body to enjoy a good circadian rhythm, providing you with enough energy to remain alert and motivated throughout the day.
Good lighting helps you learn better
Proper lighting not only helps you see better. It also has various psychological effects, including significant boosts in mood and learning. Researchers have conducted numerous studies on the effects of light on mood and learning, and they found distinct neural pathways responsible for these effects. Included in these pathways is a cluster of neurons in the part of the brain that relays sensory information to other parts of the brain.
The impact of lighting on mood and learning have a physiological basis and are proven after rigorous scientific studies. The evidence thus points to providing new ways of improving mood and learning in humans through the use of light therapy.
What to Watch Out For
Bright lights provide you with energy and improved brain functions during the day, but they can also significantly impact your brain at night. Blue light emitted by television screens, computer screens, and even smartphones can suppress the production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy. Exposing yourself to bright lights at night can therefore make it difficult to sleep.
During the day, bright lights are your ally, as they can improve your mood and learning. At night, however, sleep deprivation due to bright lights can negatively affect your mental state. It, therefore, pays to be conscious of your exposure to bright lights at night to avoid impairing your mood, memory, stress, and other mental functions.
The Bottom Line
Lighting plays a huge role in your daily life, so it’s only logical to invest in good and quality lighting. Getting natural light will be more than ideal, but some areas can only enjoy a few hours of sunshine for a specific period. It’s therefore important to pay attention to artificial lighting, especially when it comes to the spaces you spend most of your time in. By doing so, you allow yourself to live a happier and healthier life—all with the help of good lights!
If you’re on the hunt for bespoke LED lighting in Reddish and other surrounding areas, Prisma Lighting is the place to visit. We are one of the best supplies of LED lighting, as we are specialists in the lighting industry. Adorn your homes with the best sources of light—reach out to us today.
