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Ageing gracefully – light can help

One size fits all?

We all feel happier and healthier and get more done when we can adjust the control over the places where we spend the most time – including the office – Workplace Alignment: An evaluation of office worker flexibility and workplace provision. As the over 50′ s (including me!) now make up over one-third of the working population – Work | State of Ageing in 2020. This paper suggests that being able to control the lighting has the biggest impact on productivity belief of all the Indoor Environmental Quality Dimensions – The impacts of building characteristics, social psychological and cultural factors on indoor environment quality productivity belief
  

Do drop into see the Designing for our Future Selves show at the Design Museum (I’ve created an installation about circadian lighting with Speirs Major,  Clarion 55 and the Design Age Institute  – Designing for our Future Selves).  And check out the Design Age Institute’s brilliant website – DESIGNING FOR AGE, AGENCY & JOY

 

The business case for healthy lighting in residential healthcare – a win-win-win
So excited to host the panel next Tuesday- scientists talking about falls, mood – and whether you really can get robust evidence in such a complex environment. Three healthcare providers from the USA, the UK and Denmark will explain what it’s like to install and implement these systems in real life – Innovators in Residential Healthcare
 
Brain gym down under
Craig Harper is a total legend on the Australian fitness scene – and chatting to him and Melissa for an episode of the You Project last week, I can see why. We talked about why his recording studio jammed with a bazillion bright lights makes him feel more intelligent, why he walks past other cafes to get a window seat and how  hhis local yoga studio could warm up the lights to help him cool down. We even started to play with the lighting and camera angles so that his guests could find it easier to see his expression and communicate more easily – although I’m sure Craig would say that he’s ‘got a great face for radio’. One to enjoy while walking the dog or waiting to collect the kids! – #1090 Our Relationship With Light – Dr. Shelley James
As the days get longer up here in the Nothern Hemisphere, my thoughts are turning to summer and getting fitter again. How can lighting help?Brighter lighting is likely to boost alertness and focus – this paper gives a good overview –  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6236641/ This piece suggests that working with your body clock is a great place to start-  Are Circadian Rhythms a New Frontier in Athletic Performance? Getting outside to exercise will not only give your body and brain that alerting signal and set your body clock, it will help to top up your Vitamin D levels too.  I’m lucky enough to go swimming in the sea every morning – here’s a shot of me enjoying a piece of cake with my friends in the sea. But not everyone can. So the local gym or a simple-set-up at home could be the answer. Gym lighting is often bright but can be pretty unflattering, which can be off-putting, especially when you’re just starting out. This paper suggests that a darker atmosphere can give you a sense of anonymity, even when you are already alone – so perhaps you will feel a little self-conscious when you break into a sweat – Feeling disconnected from others: The effects of ambient darkness on hedonic choice

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