COVID, Conservatories and Improving Mental Health

Whether for growing families who require more space, or homeowners wanting to bring more light into their homes, sales of glazed roofs and extensions are once again on the rise.

This is undoubtedly a result of spending more time in the confines of our homes for a large part of 2020, coupled with popular television renovation programmes. This article explores how the UK’s lockdowns in 2020 and their impacts on our health have increased the popularity of these fenestration products.

There’s an old adage that says ‘you can’t worry about things you can’t change’ – but worry we do, nonetheless. COVID-19 has had a profound impact not only on our country’s economy but on the mental health of many of us. While we may not be able to fix the economy, we can take steps to look after our mental health – and building an orangery or conservatory can actually help with this!

Mental health impacts

It’s widely reported that the situation in 2020 is negatively affecting many of us. Mental health experts have reported a significant rise in people seeking help for depression and anxiety in both children and adults. Children are unable to socialise with their friends, working from home has led to loneliness – and many have lost jobs amongst the economic turmoil. As we head into the darker, colder months of the year, this could be amplified.

Natural light

There have been several medical studies showing the positive impacts that natural light can have on our wellbeing and happiness. A glazed extension could add positive value to your customers beyond adding the space they need and increasing their property values – and having this knowledge could help you secure future projects.

Improving life with light

In our industry, we’re lucky that so many of us can keep working with our colleagues, on site and in manufacturing, albeit at a safe distance. However, many more people remain working from home – including our customers.

Working from home comes with its own unique challenges. No daily commute, a lack of proper lunch breaks, and feeling ‘tied’ to a screen means that we often don’t leave our homes to take in any natural daylight at all. Cold mornings and darker nights mean this is even less likely, so workers could expect some trouble ahead.

Don’t be SAD

According to research, living under artificial instead of natural light can result in Seasonal Affective Disorder – a known mental health condition with many of the warning signs of depression.

By installing an orangery or conservatory to use as an office, people who work from home can benefit from the addition of natural light. Exposure to more natural light has been shown to increase productivity and acts as a mood booster – which we can definitely use throughout winter and as spring approaches.

Happier children

This addition of light into the home can also have a profound impact on our children’s lives. The National Health Service claims the demand for assistance with children’s mental health has skyrocketed this year. Adding a glazed roof or extension to bring in much-needed natural light could make kids happier and increase test scores – a win for parents.

Sleep easier

Finally, more natural light exposure has been shown to help everyone in the family to fall asleep at night. This may seem strange, but it’s all about the body’s natural wake-sleep pattern – being indoors for more time may have negatively impacted your circadian rhythm. Additionally, exposure to natural sunlight allows the body to produce melatonin – the chemical which aids in falling asleep quickly – and a better night’s sleep has lots of associated health benefits!

Whether or not your customers know the additional benefits that glazed roofs and extensions bring them, the demand for these products has risen rapidly. Armed with this knowledge, you can provide your customers with many more reasons why having a conservatory or lantern roof added to their property is a good idea – and build up your leads for 2021.

For more information on Liniar’s range of glazed extensions, including the popular Elevate lantern roof, please visit www.liniar.co.uk/conservatories/.