Coaching with Light & Colour: Everyday, Practical Shifts to Support Your Wellbeing

This lunchtime, whilst sat underneath a beautiful pine tree, enjoying my coffee and book in the crisp, autumnal sunshine, I was reminded about a lecture I attended last year. This was all about the impact of colour and light, and how mindful choices can support our wellbeing during the darker winter months. With the reduced daylight hours, I thought it might be useful to revisit this and share some helpful insights and top tips.

Changing Lifestyles

For millennia, the vast majority of people worked outdoors, responding to, and based around, natural daylight cycles. The Industrial Revolution, alongside the introduction of electrical lighting, altered traditional working styles, with more people starting to work indoors. Nowadays, only 10% of people work outdoors, and this increase in indoor lifestyles, under artificial lighting, has led to our circadian rhythms becoming more disrupted; over the darker, winter months Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - a type of depression that follows seasonal patterns - has also increased.

The Impact of Light

We are governed by the sun and the colour temperature of light regulates our body's 'master clock' - our natural 24-hour cycles known as circadian rhythms. Our brains use these subtle shifts in light colour to regulate and synchronise various systems and processes in our body, such as our sleep-wake cycles, our body temperature, and hormone release.

The master clock is located in the brain (specifically the suprachiasmatic nucleus) and responds to environmental light through wavelengths received via the retina.

The temperature of natural daylight changes throughout the day, starting and ending with longer warm golden/red/orange wavelengths that appear warm (golden sunrise/sunset tones) that signal to our brains to wind down or wake gently. In the middle of the day, the wavelengths are much shorter and more evenly scattered, giving off a cooler, bluish-white tone that promotes our brains to be more alert and focussed.

Natural daylight absorption helps maintain circadian rhythms and positively impacts overall wellbeing. Whereas, artificial light (much weaker and less dynamic than sunlight) can disrupt the master clock and negatively impact our circadian rhythm, leading to issues with sleep, metabolism, immune system, and mood.

The Impact of Lux

Lux (the intensity of light) has a significant impact on our environment, and our wellbeing.

Natural daylight lux levels cover a wide spectrum, ranging from:

• 32,000–100,000 in direct sunlight

• 10,000–25,000 in ambient daylight

• 1,000 on an overcast day

• 400 at sunset/sunrise

• 1 at moonlight (full moon)

Indoor lux levels are much less:

• 750 in supermarkets

• 500 in commercial offices

• 250 in school classrooms

• 150 in the majority of homes

In terms of sleep-wake cycles, melatonin (the sleep hormone) is suppressed at around 30–50 lux; homes containing constant lux levels around 150 confuse our master clock and disrupt our circadian rhythms, providing much too little in the day and much too much at night.

The Impact of Colour

Colour influences our mood, feelings & overall wellbeing. It also influences the choices we make and how we act.

For example, red has been shown to increase heart rate and promote activity and is often seen in fast food outlets, as it encourages diners to eat quickly.

Blue is more calming and has been shown to reduce blood pressure and number of heartbeats per minute. It is often used in healthcare settings.

When decorating your home, it’s worth considering what you will be using the space for and the time of day that you will be using it (also consider the lighting) - choose a colour that compliments the two:

• Warm colours are great for creating a cosy or comfortable feeling in a room.

• Cool colours can be used to create a calming effect.

• Bright, bold colours can be used to stimulate activity or creativity.

• Pastel tones are perfect for rooms that need to feel comforting or serene.

• Neutral shades like black, white, and grey can be used as anchors to help other bright colours stand out.

Some Practical Tips

• Absorb as much natural daylight as possible- no sunglasses!

  
  

• A 20- minute walk - preferably in the morning - really supports our master clock.

  
  

• Where possible, move your working space to near a window and take coffee breaks/lunch breaks outside - weather permitting.

  
  

• Consider the time of day you are typically using a room and question if the lighting is supporting your master clock.

  
  

• Consider the colour choices you have used in your rooms at home and the psychological and physiological impact of these. Does the colour compliment the room's key function and time of use? In your working environment, consider how you might be able to add splashes of colour that support your wellbeing.

  
  

• Mimic (where possible) indoor lighting to coincide with natural light lux and colour temperature levels: opt for brighter, blue-based lighting in the late morning and early afternoon, and warmer red-based lighting in the late afternoon and evening.

  
  

• SAD lights are highly effective (full spectrum—minimum 6000 lux). Circadian lighting that mirrors natural daylight, and& changing temperature/lux levels, is slowly starting to become available.

  
  

  As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and learn more about how you support your wellbeing during the darker winter months.

  
  

  Laura x