How Daylight-Friendly Is Your Workplace?

A Self-Assessment of Your Workplace’s Circadian-Friendly Light Environment

Daytime light exposure helps your body distinguish day from night and supports healthy circadian rhythms. Yet many indoor workplaces offer limited opportunities to experience daylight. This short assessment helps you reflect on your work environment and daily habits—and identify practical opportunities for improvement.

Instructions: Answer Yes or No based on a typical workday. Give yourself one point for each Yes. This is an awareness tool, not a clinical assessment or a measure of your circadian health.

Your 10-Question Daylight Check

1. Does your primary workspace have access to natural daylight, through windows, skylights, or other daylighting systems? ☐ Yes ☐ No
2. Do you have opportunities to experience natural daylight during the morning portion of your workday? ☐ Yes ☐ No
3. Do you spend at least one break outdoors in daylight on a typical workday? ☐ Yes ☐ No
4. Can you work or take breaks in a naturally lit area when you choose? ☐ Yes ☐ No
5. Does daylight reach the space where you spend much of your workday, rather than only distant windows or corridors? ☐ Yes ☐ No
6. Is the lighting in your workspace generally comfortable, without frequent distracting glare? ☐ Yes ☐ No
7. Does your workplace offer naturally lit common areas, such as break rooms, cafeterias, or shared spaces? ☐ Yes ☐ No
8. Do you have access to daylight at more than one point during the workday? ☐ Yes ☐ No
9. Can you adjust your position, blinds, or shades to make use of daylight while maintaining visual comfort? ☐ Yes ☐ No
10. Does your workplace encourage or make it practical to take short daylight breaks? ☐ Yes ☐ No

Your Score: ______ / 10

What Your Score Suggests

8–10: Many Daylight-Friendly Features – Your responses suggest that your workplace and routine provide several opportunities for daytime daylight exposure. Keep making use of natural light and outdoor breaks. This score does not establish whether you receive an optimal amount of light or whether your circadian rhythm is synchronized.

4–7: Opportunities to Improve – You have some access to daylight, but there may be gaps in when or where you experience it. Consider working nearer a daylight source, taking brief outdoor breaks, or asking your facilities team about improvements to shared and interior spaces.

0–3: Daylight Access May Be Limited – Your answers suggest relatively few opportunities to experience daylight during the workday. Explore small changes to your routine and discuss practical building improvements with your facilities team. Your score describes access and habits – not your health or sleep quality.

A Few More Questions to Consider:

How alert do you feel during the day? Do you usually sleep well and wake rested?

These experiences can be influenced by many factors, including sleep habits, work schedules, stress, and health. They are useful reflections, but this questionnaire cannot determine their causes.