Out of the darkness: lighting up your winter working life
How can we combat the dark winter months when scarcity of natural light threatens to disrupt our working patterns? A neuroscientist explains some tricks of the trade
At this time of year, sunlight is in short supply across big stretches of the Northern Hemisphere, although things have been improving, at least light-wise, since the Winter Solstice in December.
I myself live in what seems, during December, January and February, to be the lower stretches of the tundra. (FYI, my home’s in Chicago). Each day brings a new onslaught of snow and ice – and I perceive that I battle most of it in the dark as natural light is scarce.
In this column I have regularly expounded (sometimes at great length) on the value to human brains and bodies of experiencing glare-free natural light—its effects on cognitive performance, creativity, and the ability to get along with other people is nearly miraculous. But what’s the best course of action when it just isn’t around?
Common sense
The remedy for less-than-desired amounts of sunlight is this: make the most of what you’ve got—and supplement that common sense with a little bit of science-informed trickery.
During the dark months, less sunlight is often coupled with more cold, but, if your heating system can take it, open your curtains as wide as they’ll go during the hours when the sun is out where you live. Spend as much time as you can every day in the sunlit portions of rooms. Experiment with seats until you find one where you can work on your laptop (or do whatever you do to make the payments on your sunlit space) without glare on your screen.
Glare is a powerful stressor and when it’s present, all of sunlight’s benefits evaporate. Get yourself outside into the morning light for a stroll if you possibly can.
Science fixes
Now for the trickery. Make sure the artificial lights you use are cool in the morning when you awaken and warmer after the sun goes down – this can help your brain think the circadian lighting situation is okay, not compromised. The easiest way to do this, since you probably use many of the same spaces throughout the day, is to put cool bulbs in some of the light fixtures in your home and warmer ones in others, turning on the warmer or cooler options as required.
For the greatest psychological benefit, that cool light should be coming from fixtures on the ceiling and the warmer light from tabletop or floor lamps. Also, when the sun seems to set too soon, don’t let yourself be enveloped in the murk, keep the spaces you spend time bright until about a half hour before you want to sleep.
Consult the research
While lighting is top of mind, consider how the colour, intensity, and placement of light can help you live your intended work-life. There’s plenty of robust research to go on. Weitchbrecht and teammates (2015), for example, found that creativity was better under warm light than under colder light, whereas concentration was best under cooler light. Cooler light also energises, helping people feel more alert (Choi, Shin, Kim, Chung, and Suk, 2019).
Awada and colleagues (2025) simultaneously investigated responses to light colour and intensity in offices, sharing that warm and dimmed lighting effectively reduced perceived stress levels. Cooler lighting was associated with enhanced cognitive performance and reduced cognitive fatigue.
Winter is a dark and often dismal time. If you properly harness the light (both natural and artificial) that is available to you, your life and work can be good. Even when the amount of natural light where you live is bad. I speak from experience, from my Chicago lair.
Research sources
Mohamad Awada, Burein Gerber, Gale Lucas, and Shawn Roll. 2025. ‘The Impact of Color Correlated Temperature and Illuminance Levels of Office Lighting on Stress and Cognitive Restoration.’ Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 104, 102628.
Kyungah Choi, Cheong Shin, Taesu Kim, Hyun Chung, and Hyeon-Jeong Suk. 2019. ‘Awakening Effects of Blue-Enriched Morning Light Exposure on University Students’ Physiological and Subjective Responses.’ Scientific Reports, vol. 9, article 345.
- Weitbrecht, H. Barwolff, A. Lischke, and S. Junger. 2015. ‘Effect of Light Color Temperature on Human Concentration and Creativity.’ Fortschritte der Neurologie, Psychiatrie, vol. 83, no. 6, pp. 344-348.
