Best Lighting for the Office and Beyond

This is not a task that comes naturally or we can expect others to get so we must do some work of communicating.  It is better for all involved to talk these things through and to listen to understand.  Finding the best lighting for the office or other workspace and creating the best working conditions for all can be a challenging task. Sometimes it just takes a quick check in or it may even be a compassionate afterthought. Migraine lighting is a must have for the migraine sufferer.

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Make Your Space As Migraine Friendly As Possible

Fluorescent lighting that is so popular in offices and many buildings can be a trigger for migraines. This can take some creativity to avoid.  There are some ways to do this. Lamps can be your best friend. I am a teacher and in my classroom I use lamps with light bulbs that are migraine friendly instead of the fluorescent lights. This could be great if you have a home office or smaller office/work setting as well.

The National Headache Institute says that bulbs that are within a 2700 Kelvin range are better for migraine sufferers.  These are the bulbs I have in all my lamps. Once I had one burn out and made the mistake of thinking I would temporarily use a “regular” one I had from before.  Big mistake.  I noticed an amazing difference and took it out immediately. I use the Relax bulbs and have found them to be much more compatible with a migraine friendly work environment.

I have also recently added some green lighting to my room as research is showing that this is actually better for migraine sufferers. They are said to actually reduce the pain.  I am excited to see how this works out this year and will report back later.  Even while setting up my classroom I have enjoyed the change.  I have not actually had them on when I have had a migraine so that would be a new experience.  Check out a picture below.

Other Lighting Issues: Personal Experience Related to Work

Hearing the words “Lights Camera Action!” may not send everyone into a tizzy, but for me it did the trick.  I was at a district event that took a lot of time and planning.  It was the beginning of the school year and this was a kick off for all staff to attend.  The excitement was in the air and the feeling they were going for was accomplished.  There was a band, flag girls, an amazing step show, and a variety of speakers. 

In the midst of it all there was an abundance of flashing lights.  I do have epilepsy and this can be a trigger for seizures.  Fortunately for me it hasn’t been.  However, as the years have passed it seems flashing lights have just begun to bother me.  They aren’t always a big deal, but it seems prolonged flashing bright lights are a big deal. It took a school picture day with cameras outside my door to alert me to this new trigger.  That unintentionally sent me to the ER. 

As I said this was not intentional and none of this was thought to happen.  However, through the migraine view flashing lights were not a celebration signal they were a source of fear.  They caused me to constantly lower my head and not look in certain directions.  Each time clapping was coming I was sure to look down.  At the end of the event I put my head in my hands and my coworkers covered my head.  

So How Do We Find the Best Lighting for the Office and Beyond?

Find what works best for you and make it happen. You may need to have a conversation with your workplace or bring in your own as I did. This can be done in smaller offices as well.  I realize if you are in a large office you may not have control over this.  You may have to try things like short breaks or trying to dim your own area.  I’ll be coming out with another post on working with migraines.  I do not mean for this to sound as if this is an easy or simple task.  With some thought and homework my hope is that it can result in an improved quality of life. May you find the best lighting for the office or other work space and live better!

As I have also said in my personal examples compassion followed and I am not placing blame here. This is truly a matter of how we do better so that we can live better.  I don’t want to leave big life events and I don’t want others to have to alter what they want to do either.  How do we make both those things a reality?  These are things to ponder and strive for together.  I will be writing more about this topic in an upcoming post.  Please return.

Other Helpful Resources

Self Magazine article on working with migraines. I was interviewed for this article! Read it here for some great tips.

Another post on Migraine Triggers. Read it here.

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Source: nationalheadacheinstitute.com