Fight the Late Year Blues with Sun Therapy

We are officially in the time of year that a lot of people hate.  For much of the country right now, sunset is around 5:00 p.m. or even earlier, and it’s not going to get any later until after December 21.  With sunrise at around 7:00 a.m., many people are waking up in the dark and going home from work in the dark.  The problem can be made even worse when you consider that many people work in windowless buildinga.  That could mean an entire day without full sunlight.

While it’s a rather depressing time of year, there is an answer: go outside, particularly in the morning.

For some, this will be a difficult proposition due to short breaks from work or cold weather in the winter.  However, morning sunlight triggers the brain to wake up.  It also resets your biological clock.  Getting as much early day sunshine as possible can not only help you be productive during the day, it can also get your body set to what time it needs to go to sleep.

If morning sunshine is not an option, an alternative is a light box.  They are frequently recommended for individuals with Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.  People with SAD experience depression during the darker months.  While light boxes do work, they are not nearly as effective as simply going outside for a half hour.

To learn more about using the sun to reset your body clock, check out this article from Discovery News.