How Your Surroundings Influence Your Mental State
Ever noticed the environment you’re in having an impact on you? Increasingly, research shows that your workspace has a clear effect on your mental state.
“access to daylight is a major factor”
In a 2020 paper, Xiao et al [1] reported that employees who were satisfied with their visual environment (including lighting, views etc) also reported less mental health issues. More specifically, while studies found that low light levels affects sleep onset latency (and increase the chance of insomnia) [2], illuminance levels above 575 lux increase engagement. [3] Of course, access to daylight is a major factor, as it reduces both stress [4] and depressive symptoms [5]. A 2021 study further corroborated this but also went on to say that sunlight at higher brightness levels was associated with lower moodiness, and sleep & concentration disturbance [6]. It’s not just daylight however: two studies from 2021 and 2022 found that employees’ moods were also improved by their satisfaction with artificial light [4,7].
In addition to light, greenery is another key factor in the visual environment. One study found that it predicted higher well-being [4], while another found that access to green space (such as a garden) reduced feelings of stress [8]. Furthermore, employees who were satisfied with their views outside showed higher concentration [4], fewer depressive symptoms and a more positive mood [9]. In fact, Spano et al. found that even the presence of potted plants led to a lower level of moodiness [6]. Interestingly, one study found that blue or green coloured walls made employees happier and more satisfied, but also more stressed [10]. What is clear though, is that our psychology cannot be considered in isolation from our surroundings that we see.
“employees that were dissatisfied with the temperature had trouble concentrating”
It’s not just the visual environment that can have a huge impact, either. Research shows that noise also has negative effects on the mental state of employees. Noise from outdoors was found in particular to cause fatigue, [7] while uncomfortable noise levels in general distracted employees from their jobs and reduced their wellbeing [10][11] and concentration [12][13]. In one study, Bergefurt et al. found that noise was the single largest distractor in the home-work environment [10], while in another review, they found that both indoor and outdoor noise negatively impacted employees’ mood [14]. Research also suggests that other environmental factors such as temperature and air quality have an impact. In a 2021 paper, Awada et al [15] found that employees that were dissatisfied with the temperature had trouble concentrating. On the other hand, workers that were satisfied with their air quality experienced less mental stress [7,15] and experienced a more positive mood [7].
While your surroundings can have an impact psychologically, they can also have an impact on your productivity, as we’ll explore in another article next week. Furthermore, there’s also a strong link between your mental state and your productivity, something that we go through in detail here. The link between your surroundings and your mental state is clear, the question is: what will you do about it?