How Natural Light Affects Your Mental Health

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As you continue to experience unprecedented times, keeping up with your mental wellness is more important than ever. So many factors can influence your state of mind, including your exposure to sunlight. Artificial lighting can do more harm than good if you don’t have the right balance in your life. Learn about how natural light affects your mental health and make some necessary lifestyle changes.

Table of Contents

Alters Brain Interaction

You might find it surprising to learn that natural light can alter your brain chemistry. Sunlight influences essential chemical production in your brain, such as serotonin. Experts agree that this substance is crucial to feelings of happiness and contentment. If you’re struggling with your mental health and don’t know where to start, increasing your sunlight exposure could be what your brain needs to function better.

Improves Sleep Quality

Serotonin isn’t the only brain chemical that sunlight can affect. Natural light also influences the production of melatonin, a key ingredient in your sleep habits. Exposure to sunlight also helps regulate your circadian rhythms, which tell your body when it’s time to get some rest. Sleep is vital to your overall mental state, so if you aren’t sleeping well, consider increasing your time under the sun.

Fights Seasonal Depression

As days get shorter with dropping temperatures, many people experience changes in their moods. Some people live with SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. Whether the changing seasons impact your mental health minorly or significantly, increasing your sunlight exposure can help fight those winter blues and reduce feelings of sadness associated with seasonal depression. Keep this in mind the next time winter comes around.

Encourages Productivity

Spending too much time under fluorescent lighting can lead to elevated stress levels. If you’re struggling with your mental wellness at work or school, getting more sunlight could help increase your productivity. Home office lighting affects motivation, so consider working near an open window if you’re a remote employee. If you work in an office, find time during the day to take a walk in the sun to increase your exposure.

Natural light affects your mental health in more ways than one. However, it’s easy to incorporate more sunshine into your life by making a few small lifestyle changes. Spend more time soaking in the sun and see how much better you’ll start to feel.