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THE BRANDON SUN • YOUR HOME YOUR WAY • SATURDAY, MAY 6, 2023
How to light your home for an optimal mood BY STACEY COLINO
there is growing research that shows the right kinds of light are also essential to human well-being. “Lighting does have a significant effect on people’s psychological state as well as how they think and behave,” says Sally Augustin, an en- vironmental and design psy- chologist in Chicago. “Given the kinds of animals we are, we do need light. It’s what keeps our minds and bodies in the best possible shape.” Exposure to natural light and certain types of artificial
light helps your body main- tain its circadian rhythm — the internal clock that regulates key functions such as sleep-wake patterns, hor- mone release, blood pressure and body temperature fluctu- ations. A 2021 study from the International Journal of Envi- ronmental Research and Pub- lic Health, for instance, found that access to daylight inside the home helped participants fall asleep faster at night and gave them a greater sense of vitality throughout the day. A 2022 study from the journal Building and Environment concluded that incorporating natural light in nearly every room — the kitchen, bed- room, living room and dining room — improved emotional well-being. The takeaway: the qualities
and sources of the lighting in- side our homes matter greatly, impacting myriad aspects of our state of mind, such as how irritable or productive we feel. Here are strategies to consid- er when devising a lighting plan for your own space.
You’re probably not imag- ining it: that fluorescent over- head light really could be put- ting you on high alert. And it’s probably no coincidence that you feel relaxed while sitting next to the amber glow of the table lamp in your liv- ing room. While most of us recognize that having proper lighting at home is important for prac- tical reasons — for instance, to avoid a kitchen mishap or a makeup catastrophe —
CAPITALIZE ON NATURAL LIGHT
“Natural light is like a magic medicine — it im- proves mood, mental perfor- mance, and the ability to get along with people,” says Au- gustin. But “you need to be careful about glare,” she adds, which makes your eyes work harder and can lead to strain and fatigue. (To minimize it, try sheer curtains or position- ing yourself perpendicular to the window, she suggests.) » Continued on Page 13
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