NOTE: A handy habit is to close the blinds before switching on the lights at dusk and always shut the office window when shutting your computer down for the day!

At home you can ask your favourite virtual assistant (Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri, etc.) to remind you to close the curtains and blinds at dusk. It will make such a difference to your level of comfort as the cold nights draw in.

You can even get automatic blinds that you can program to shut at a certain time or use with a remote control. If you would like to be woken up by natural light rather than a noisy alarm you can also programme them in your bedroom to open and wake you up gently.

In the morning, open the blinds again to bring sunlight and warmth into the room. Working with daylight is truly a delight, it’s healthier for you and the environment.

Blinds can also be useful if you find the office overheating because of solar gain. At this time of year, it can often be a bit cold in the morning but as the day brightens up, the afternoon can become quite warm – sometimes too warm.

Blinds can also be a helpful tool for regulating the temperature in these circumstances. Pulling the blinds to keep out solar gain will help to keep your room comfortable as we experience our typical ‘Four Seasons in One Day’ autumn.