The Profound Environmental and Health Benefits of Natural Home Lighting

We are pleased to find that green living is on the rise. One poll found that 77% of people want to live greener lifestyles. That figure probably would increase at least slightly if you told people that living more sustainably could also be beneficial for their health.

One example is with natural lighting. Research has found that natural lighting is both great for the environment and our well-being.

As we move closer in to the end of autumn and the start of winter, you’ll almost certainly have noticed the days getting shorter, the return of general greyness is beginning to replace the once blue skies and everything just getting that bit chillier. You know the drill by now – winter is glum, and it makes us yearn for sunnier days and appreciate every bit of natural light we get.

Indeed, natural light sustains virtually all life on the planet, so why have we built our houses to block said light out? Sadly, many of us too reliant on artificial light scattered around the house. This doesn’t just pose health concerns. There are also significant environmental concerns that need to be taken into consideration as well.

Here are three big health and environmental reasons that you should be bringing more natural light into your home.

Health and wellbeing

Perhaps, if we all knew the full extent of the environmental, health and wellbeing benefits of natural light, we’d be keener to get it more involved in the home day to day. Here’s a bigger-than-you-expected list of positive things natural light can do for you:

• You significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuels to heat and light your home. This is one of the biggest reasons our carbon footprint increases in the winter. Heating and cooling account for around 40% of our carbon footprint, which tend to be higher in the winter months.
• It can help improve focus, with natural light linked to better productivity.
• Exposure to natural light for even short periods has been shown to help with reducing stress and anxiety.
• Natural light is key in vitamin D production, which is in turn important for the maintenance of the immune system, bones, cardiovascular system and brain as well as many more key bodily systems.
• Natural light is linked to happiness, with sunlight producing both serotonin and endorphins in the body.
• Natural light helps to prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder (aptly abbreviated to SAD) – a fairly common form of depression that is linked to the winter months upsetting our circadian rhythm and reducing serotonin and melatonin levels.
• Melatonin is also important in maintaining energy levels, with low levels linked to tiredness. Getting enough natural light also helps us regulate better sleep.
• Higher levels of serotonin, which is produced by sunlight, work as an appetite suppressant, which can help with weight loss.
• Natural light is important to eye health, which can be damaged if exposed to too much unnatural blue light from our TVs, smartphones and computer screens.
• Sunlight alters nitric oxide levels in the blood, which helps to reduce blood pressure.
• As you probably already know, sunlight is good for your pants about the house, and plants are good for you.

Help out the environment

If the health benefits for you aren’t enough, what about the health benefits for the environment around you? Research suggests that the average person today is more concerned about sustainability that ever before, and the lockdown has only helped to increase the eco-consciousness of the nation.

With that in mind, installing some VELUX windows or sun tunnels can fill your home with natural light, providing the light and warmth you need through the day. This will reduce your dependence on gas and electricity consumption, which will reduce your environmental impact across the year.

Save yourself some money in the process

There’s a financial motivator to add in with the environmental one. Of course, the less electrical energy you’re using, the lower your electricity bill will become the end of the month.

Not only that but adopting some more naturally lit spaces in your home will also add to its value as a property should you ever come to sell. Therefore, investing in energy efficient home improvements will benefit you in the short and long term.

It’s about time we started valuing natural light for the healthy, environmentally friendly and money saving resource it is. Especially with the vitamin-D deficient winter period on the horizon, make sure you get your share of sunlight these next few months.

Use Natural Light to Bolster Your Health and Protect the Environment

Natural lighting is great for both your health and the environment. The benefits listed above should be utilized if you want to live a green lifestyle.