Science explains why the office window seat is so coveted

Science explains why the office window seat is so covetedScience explains why the office window seat is so covetedGetting the seat by the office window is a coveted prize, and now science backs up why we want it so much. According to a new daylight study conducted by Cornell UniversitysDr. Alan Hedge, our proximity to natural light can boost our productivity.Workers in window seats dont get as drowsy or as much eye fatigueColleagues with window seats have a competitive advantage over their other colleagues.The study found that we thrive in sunlight and we shrivel up underneath fluorescent lights. Hedge found that people in optimized natural light with close access to windows were less likely to experience the side effects of digital eye strain that comes from looking at computers for too long.Where you sit can determine how focused youre going to be at work. Workers close to windows were 51% less likely to experience eyestrain and were 63% less likely to get tension headaches. Being close to natural light also boosted workers energy. Employees in optimized light reported a 56% decrease in drowsiness.close dialog Advertisementclose dialog/* effects for .bx-campaign-1012257 *//* custom css .bx-campaign-1012257 */.bx-custom.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-type-agilityzone .bx-close z-index 2-ms-keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from -ms-transform rotate(0deg) to -ms-transform rotate(360deg) -moz-keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from -moz-transform rotate(0deg) to -moz-transform rotate(360deg) -webkit-keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from -webkit-transform rotate(0deg) to -webkit-transform rotate(360deg) keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from transform rotate(0deg) to transform rotate(360deg) bx-close-inside-1012257 top 0 right 0 /* KD - Remove padding from video wrappe r and set height to 100% */.bx-custom.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-row-video .bx-video-wrapper padding-top 0important height 100%.bx-custombx-campaign-1012257 bx-creative-1012257 .bx-wrap height auto/* KD - Change positioning to static as that was not necesaary and here you can adjust the height of the video element */.bx-custom.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-row-video .bx-video-wrapper video position static/* rendered styles .bx-campaign-1012257 */.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative *first-child width 100%.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative background-color transparentborder-style nonemax-width 900px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-active-step-1 .bx-close stroke whitebackground-color blackborder-style solidborder-color whiteborder-width 1px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-group-1012257-AFvXBOB padding 10pxdisplay blockwidth auto.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-element-1012257-J0EiS8Y width auto.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-element-1012257-J0EiS8Y *first-c hild padding 2px 4pxfont-size 10pxcolor rgb(255, 255, 255)text-transform uppercasebackground-color rgb(0, 0, 0)background-color rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.34)When you block an employees access to a nice view, you are hurting their performance. Productivity gains (and losses) are connected to employees environmental conditions, so companies that create ideal office environments with abundant natural light and unobstructed outdoors views will reap the dividends, the study concludes.Sunlight is natures balm to computer vision. Natural light helps our eyes recover and relax after we put them through the strain of artificial light. Unfortunately, too many of us stay in our enclosed, artificially-lit office buildings all day. We spend 90% of our time indoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.And that not only affects our productivity, but also our brainpower. One study found that indoor lighting makes it harder for us to learn and remember tasks.Unfortunately, some of us are stuck wi th assigned seats that take the question of a prime window seat out of our hands. If youre among the employees working away from a window, take breaks and go get your dose of natural light outside. Your eyes will thank you.