It occurred to us, amidst all of the current challenges and difficulties we are facing across the world, that light is a strong symbol of hope and positivity. We concentrate on lighting for commercial success in our usual daily endeavours but, as the world is so off kilter right now, we started to think about things a bit differently
Light for hope
Light is something we use for focus, security, clarity and vision first and foremost – whether that is in our workplace or our lives generally. And then we heard about the global movement to put our Christmas decorations back up which seemed to support the theory that lighting is vital to our moods and feelings of well-being – something we have covered several times in the course of our articles.
Cathedrals and other prominent buildings are being lit up in honour and tribute to our amazing frontline NHS workers – again, an example of light being used to make a powerful, positive statement.
Light for comfort
It’s also worth mentioning that, if you are able to work from home, your working environment should be lit correctly so that you are comfortable. UK standards state that you should have ‘suitable and sufficient lighting’ with plenty of natural light. So throw the curtains open, enjoy a good overhead light, supplement with desk lamps if you need to and make sure you are home-working as well as you can.
A blue light is best for maintaining concentration and alertness so opt for a cool white or, even better, a daylight bulb, if you can.
Light to relax
If you’re enjoying a slightly slower pace of life, and let’s face it, many people are, you can change your lighting to a lower, warmer level when it’s time to unwind. It might surprise you to know that red is the most relaxing bulb colour! That might be a colour too far so a warm, yellow bulb is a perfect, and more accepted, alternative. A pink bulb is equally relaxing.
These are extremely unusual times and we all react differently to the new situations we find ourselves in, especially when we are learning to isolate ourselves, most likely for the first time in our lives. Purple light is an excellent choice for anyone looking to switch off and learn to chase the stresses away.
Lighting your business
We would recommend, both for security reasons and to promote the positive messages above, that you continue to light your business premises in some way, even if you are currently closed. It indicates that you intend to trade again as soon as you are able and that some semblance of activity is being maintained. Even in most businesses, there are people working behind the scenes, looking after staff, reinventing their services and working in some sense.
Stay safe.