Burnout in Windowless Offices: Lessons Learned the Hard Way
Working at a home automation company seemed like a dream. As a designer in the AV industry, I was immersed in a world that embraced the latest in smart home technology, including sophisticated lighting solutions like LED and circadian lighting systems.
The irony? While the company promoted the benefits of these advanced products, our own office lighting fell far short of those standards. What began as an exciting opportunity for growth and creativity quickly became a struggle to maintain my health in a poorly lit, windowless workspace. Over time, I learned that a well-designed office environment is vital not just for productivity, but also for overall well-being. This article shares the hard lessons I learned and some practical steps to improve your own work environment if you find yourself in a similar situation.
The Ironic Reality of a Home Automation Office
At the heart of the irony was this: the company sold high-end lighting systems designed to mimic natural light cycles, yet our offices were outfitted with none of these technologies. Instead, we were subjected to dim downlight cans in most rooms, while hallways outside the office doors were brightly lit by fluorescent bulbs. While many of my colleagues had fluorescent lighting directly overhead, my office had downlight cans. Sure, this was slightly better if it weren’t for their poor placement. This caused harsh glare, particularly on my glasses and computer screens. I felt lucky to avoid the fluorescent lights, but even with this, the lighting was far from ideal.
My First Office: A Sandwich of Bad Lighting
When I first joined the team as an AV system designer, I was assigned the last remaining office, a small front-facing room with large windows. I faced north with large front-facing windows that were at one side of my view. While natural light is typically a blessing in the workplace, the distant sunlight reflecting off the parked cars outside combined with the awkwardly placed downlight cans created an uncomfortable trifecta
What should have been an ideal setup quickly turned into a daily battle. The mixture of harsh, direct sunlight, the glaring downlights, and the fluorescent spillover from the hallway created a layered sandwich of bad lighting. The inconsistency in color temperature between these different sources only added to the discomfort. Each environment was different and conflicting: cold hallway fluorescents, warm incandescent downlights, and the blue daylight from outside. I was constantly struggling with visual discomfort, headaches, and a nagging sense of physical fatigue.
I spent hours designing complex AV systems on my computer, which meant staring at screens while enduring this harsh lighting environment. It didn’t take long for the migraines to set in—headaches that grew more intense as the days wore on. The combination of eye strain from the screen and the glare from both the windows and the ceiling lighting turned what should have been a creative and productive workspace into a recipe for burnout.
How Poor Lighting Hurts Productivity and Client Impressions
Beyond the personal discomfort, poor lighting also impacts how we present ourselves to clients. On video calls, harsh overhead lighting creates unflattering shadows, making employees look tired, stressed, or unprofessional. This can hurt the perception clients have of your team, even if they are otherwise sharp and capable. By investing in better lighting—both for comfort and for appearance—you improve your team’s image at every stage of client interaction.
The Health Decline
Before long, the physical strain from the lighting began to take its toll on my health. Headaches became a daily occurrence, turning into full-blown migraines. These migraines led to several days where I came in late or had to miss work altogether. For a small AV design team, where each person plays multiple roles, my absence was a burden. The team relied on my input and my unique skills, so when I wasn’t there, it was as though several people were missing. This only added to my stress and deepened my sense of burnout.
In design-heavy environments, it’s easy to underestimate the impact of office lighting on long-term health. While we focus on meeting deadlines and pushing through long workdays, the cumulative effect of bad lighting conditions can have severe consequences. For me, the migraines weren’t just a nuisance. They impacted my ability to work and ultimately affected the team’s confidence in my ability to contribute to meet project goals. Perceived inconsistency can hurt one’s reputation.
The Office Expansion: Some Relief, But Still Windowless
Three years later, the company expanded into the suite next door, and I was moved to an interior, windowless office. While this new office eliminated the window glare problem, it was far from a perfect solution. The fluorescent hallway lighting remained, and despite my best efforts, it was still seeping into my workspace thanks to the open-door culture. At least this time, the downlights were positioned slightly better, reducing the strain on my eyes. The overall lighting environment improved, but the headaches didn’t go away completely.
The window may have been removed from the equation, but the lack of natural light wasn’t ideal. I had more control over my immediate surroundings, and the larger space allowed me to set up a small "break" desk for mental and visual relief. But even with these improvements, I couldn’t help but feel that the company was missing out on an easy fix. Especially, since we sold lighting solutions that could have drastically improved the situation.
Practical Strategies to Cope
While my office lighting wasn’t great, I started to explore ways to make the best of my situation. Here are a few strategies I found to greatly help manage the impact of poor lighting:
Task Lighting: Rather than investing in expensive solutions myself, I found it was worth asking if the company could take small steps toward improvement. Task lamps with adjustable brightness make a noticeable difference, creating softer lighting for specific areas of a desk.
Turn Off Overhead Bulbs: Whenever possible, I avoid using overhead downlights. Instead, I rely on a few strategically placed lamps to create a layered lighting effect that is much easier on the eyes. When dealing with fluorescent bulbs, this step is even more important— using LED fixtures or smart bulbs with adjustable color temperatures.
Take Breaks for Natural Light: Since my second office was windowless, I made it a point to take breaks outside to get some sunlight. A quick walk in the natural light helped reset my energy and combat the effects of artificial lighting.
Ergonomic Setup: I adjusted my monitor height, desk setup, and chair position to minimize the amount of glare on my computer screen. This reduced eye strain and helped with neck and back discomfort.
A Simple Email to Ask Your Manager for Help
If you find yourself in a similar situation, a polite request to your manager could be the first step in improving your office lighting. Here’s a simple template to help get the conversation started:
Subject: Request for Office Lighting Improvements
Hi [Manager's Name],
I hope you’re doing well. Lately, I’ve noticed that the current overhead lighting, especially the fluorescent lights, has been causing some eye strain and making it harder to concentrate throughout the day. I believe that updating the lighting in the office could help increase both comfort and productivity.
Would it be possible to turn off the fluorescent overheads and instead provide a few desk or floor lamps with softer LED lighting? Not only would this reduce eye strain, but it would also help us look more professional during video calls with clients, as softer lighting tends to create a more polished appearance.
Here are a couple of affordable options I found:
LED desk lamps with adjustable brightness and color temperature
Floor lamps that provide ambient lighting for a softer environment.
I believe these small changes could make a big difference in creating a more comfortable and productive workspace for everyone. Let me know your thoughts!
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
Alarming facts about florescent lighting:
Fluorescent lighting has been shown to cause a range of negative side effects, including:
-Damage to the retinas over prolonged exposure.
-Fatigue due to its harsh glare and flickering
-Unflattering shadows it casts can strain the eyes, making it difficult to concentrate for extended periods.
*These effects not only impact productivity but also contribute to long-term health risks.
Moving Forward with Intentional Office Design
The lessons I learned from working in a poorly lit, windowless office taught me the importance of intentional office design. Small changes to lighting and workspace setup can have a profound effect on employee health, well-being, and productivity. Whether you're an employee struggling with bad lighting or an employer looking to improve your office space, investing in better lighting solutions is a simple yet powerful way to prevent burnout and foster a more productive, professional environment.
Products like Ketra and other circadian lighting systems could have brought the same comfort we sold to clients into our own workspace. Simple changes, like layering lighting (using ambient, task, and accent lights) and installing smart bulbs with dimming and color temperature controls, could have made a world of difference for everyone in the office.
For business owners, choosing an office with health in mind is vital. Picking an office that maximizes natural light, uses efficient lighting, and allows for adaptable setups is critical for long-term employee well-being and productivity. Even small investments in better lighting can result in happier, more productive staff.