How to use your home lighting to lift your mood in winter — lighting experts reveal the tricks that will make you feel better in the darker months

There is no other time in the year when you'll be as grateful for your home lighting choices as in the depths of winter. However, if you haven't got your lighting right yet, then this is the season when you'll be seriously regretting those glaring spotlights in the living room.

The lights and lighting trends we choose for our home are so much more than pretty decor; research has found that light can affect our mood, behaviour and performance both directly and indirectly. Indirectly, it does this via our circadian rhythm — our internal body clock — with natural daylight stimulating the production of 'feel-good' hormone serotonin, waking us up and making us feel more alert, then as light fades, melatonin is produced to get us ready to sleep.

'We know that light is a powerful influence on our mood. In winter, the amount and duration of external environmental light is substantially reduced, and we spend far greater amounts of time indoors. Therefore, our indoor lighting is the primary light stimulus affecting our mood,' explains Dr Victoria Revell, Associate Professor in Translational Sleep & Circadian Physiology, and scientific advisor to Lumie, specialists in SAD lamps.

But what type of lighting is best to improve your mood in winter?

Best type of light to improve your mood

'Insufficiently bright light can result in low and negative mood,' warns Victoria. 'Making sure that we have bright indoor lights during our waking day will keep us feeling alert and our mood more positive. Sitting by windows and getting outside when we can will also help our mood.'

'Turning the lights on as soon as we wake up will brighten our mood and get us going for the day,' Victoria recommends. 'In the evening, we want to avoid bright lights as this will help us wind down for bedtime.

Sally Augustin, an environmental psychologist and the principal at Design With Science agrees and says that when translating this into home decor, you should choose 'relatively warmer, slightly dimmer light, ideally from a table top or floor lamp.

'This light is also best for creativity and socialising. Glare-free natural light is, of course, also great for mood,' she adds.

The lighting pros I've spoken to all agree with this approach, recommending you avoid relying on a single overhead light source and instead use a mix of lamps and lights that sit at around eye-level for your living room lighting ideas and bedroom lighting ideas.

'During winter, I’d always recommend layering lighting rather than relying on a single overhead source, or the dreaded ‘Big light!’,' says Julia Barnes, buying director at ValueLights.

'Using a mix of floor lamps, table lamps and wall lights helps create pockets of warm, gentle light that feel comforting, cosy and uplifting. Choosing bulbs with a warm white temperature can instantly soften a space and make it feel more inviting, which has a real impact on mood when daylight hours are limited.'

Best type of light if you work from home

As Victoria said, you will need a brighter light in your home in the morning to help you feel more alert. This is also important if you work from home and need to maintain your concentration.

It is important not only to maximise the natural daylight in your home, but you can also mimic natural daylight with your lighting.

'Cooler, slightly brighter light from an overhead fixture is best for waking you up and improving your concentration,' explains Sally from Design with Science.

'When working from home during winter, the best lighting for concentration is bright, clear illumination that mimics natural daylight,' adds Daniel Smith, Founder at Danetti. 'For main lighting, opt for pendants either in a soft linen or lightly frosted glass finish, which diffuses light evenly without feeling harsh, helping to reduce eye strain and maintain focus.'

Daniel and Jo Plant, Chief Creative Officer at Pooky, both agree that a smaller task light for your desk is also important.

'As the afternoon fades, layer in artificial light. Overhead lights alone can feel harsh and often cast awkward shadows, making your workspace less inviting,' explains Jo. 'A dedicated task lamp is a game-changer here, ideally with adjustable arms and a swivel, so you can aim the light exactly where you need it.'

If you want to take this a step further, you could invest in a Lumie's Task light, £214 at Amazon. These lamps use the same technology as the brand's daylight SAD lamps, and mimic the brightness of natural sunlight, but they look much chicer on a desk.

How to make your current lighting work harder

Before you start browsing all the best places to buy lighting to invest in some new brighter lamps, you can easily adapt your current lighting using smart LED bulbs, which allow you to adjust light temperature, colour and brightness throughout the day and evening. You can pick up a Phillips white smart LED Bulb for just £9.99 at Argos, and effortlessly switch between cool and warm white light as you move from morning to evening.

'Lighting is an excellent tool to support mood in the winter months with both technological advancements and aesthetic considerations playing a role,' explains Mara Rypacek Miller, Founder of Industville. 'LED technology is a perfect place to start. It can be tailored to simulate the warmth of sunlight while also playing a crucial role in energy efficiency and offering a longer lifespan than traditional bulbs.

'Similarly, incorporating technology such as dimmer switches and colour-changing light fixtures allows for a customisable ambience that can mimic natural light patterns.'

The lighting is so important in our homes in winter, make sure yours is working hard to support your mood with brighter light options in the morning that transition into a softer, relaxing glow in the afternoon and evening.