By Maeve Elder, Communication & Outreach Coordinator, Missouri Gateway Green Building Council
With the end of Daylight Savings and chillier days after a warm Fall, it’s finally feeling like winter is just around the corner. And we know what that means: shorter days and colder temps mean lower energy and activity levels and less time outside. As I gear up for a healthy hibernation, I’m thinking about how our spaces can support our health and wellness during the long winter months ahead.
Given that we spend approximately 90% of our time indoors, it’s no surprise that buildings impact our health. That’s why a key focus of green building is minimizing negative health impacts while increasing positive benefits. Since we’ll spend even more time indoors in the months ahead, it’s worth looking at a few factors, such as indoor air quality and lighting, that can impact our health and well-being.
Air. During winter, we rely on mechanical ventilation systems to circulate air from outside and remove toxins that can negatively impact our health, so we want to ensure that system is working optimally. We also want to limit sources of indoor pollution. The biggest source of pollutants are combustion sources, such as candles, stoves, furnaces and fireplaces, which produce monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and small particles. What You Can Do: Be sure to replace your HVAC filter to optimize indoor air circulation. Try to minimize indoor pollutants by switching out gas for electric appliances and/or investing in an air purifier that uses a carbon filter.
Light. As the days get shorter, we rely more on artificial light to illuminate our spaces. Both natural and artificial light shape our circadian rhythm, which regulates our sleep and wake cycle. What You Can Do: Use and adjust light in your spaces to emulate the behavior of natural light. Gradually increasing light in the morning can help our bodies wake up gradually, using bright light at home and at work can help us wake up and stay alert during the day, and dimmed light in the evenings can help our body relax and get ready for sleep at night. Using blackout curtains at night can eliminate exterior light sources that can interrupt our body’s sleep rhythms.
Want to learn more about how buildings can support health and wellness? In January 2025, Missouri Gateway Green Building Council will be hosting two sessions exploring the WELL Building Rating System. Stay tuned for more information!