The house becomes an office, thus changing the way of understanding light.

When we think of the concept of smart working we refer to the management of work from home throughout the day, thinking more in terms of objectives rather than hours spent.

“Smart”, however, must also be the environment in which one works, in terms of ergonomics, because this aspect has a strong impact on well-being, efficiency and performance.

As in the office, ergonomics is fundamental for the workstation at home and lighting is one of those key components that is often underestimated. In fact, there is what can be called “ergonomic lighting”, which is essential for well-being in the workplace, in the office as well as at home, and for the prevention of so-called “artificial vision syndrome”, which brings symptoms such as blurred vision, dry eyes, and headaches.

Improper lighting, whether too little or too much, is a significant contributor to eyestrain. Proper lighting, without shadows or glare, can reduce eye fatigue and headaches.

Lighting ergonomics is the relationship between an individual and the light source. In one’s home, one would think that normal residential lighting might be sufficient, but this is not the case when one works for several hours in those rooms. With the rise of smart working, this complexity has been added to the lighting in the home, which must now provide the highest degree of comfort during the time spent in front of the computer.

To achieve ergonomic lighting, one must first ensure adequate lighting – 300-500 lux – around the workstation. Poor lighting forces the eyes to work harder, causing fatigue and headaches.

Over-reliance on direct lighting leads to dark areas and shadows around the workstation, another type of improper lighting that causes eye fatigue and headaches. Combining direct and indirect lighting is the best lighting arrangement.

Direct and indirect reflections, cause glare. They are often due to light sources entering the field of vision directly or indirectly by reflecting off of shiny surfaces. It is a problem that can be remedied with curtains, positioning at ninety degrees to the window and other measures.

It is preferable to use lights with a cooler color temperature, which improves mood and alertness. It is also necessary to ensure adequate contrast between the background and foreground, especially of the work monitor.

In general, for the right lighting ergonomics is better to prefer lamps with adjustable brightness, because they allow you to adjust the light to the perfect level of atmosphere depending on the activity of the moment.