Habits - Use the Power of Sunlight

The Power of Light

Get more sunlight. For the majority of humanity’s existence, we’ve only had access to two sources of light. The Sun and fire. Of these two, the sun has by far been the biggest source of light in our lives. As a result, our brains evolve to process sunlight in a very unique way. For example, exposure to sunlight increases the brain’s production of Serotonin, which boosts our mood and helps us feel calm and focused. If you take away sunlight, then the brain thinks it’s nighttime and therefore it triggers the release of another hormone called melatonin, which makes you sleepy. Our relationship with sunlight, which evolved over millions of years, has been massively disrupted over the past century by the rise of artificial lights now dominating our lives. This is great for society at large. But it’s not always great for the individual who spends more and more of their life disconnected from natural sunlight. The result is that, our cycles and rhythms are all out of whack. This leads to issues with sleep, focus and creative thinking. As a result, more than ever, people are experiencing increased levels of anxiety, depression and overwhelm. But the solution is simple. Spend more time outside in the sun. You can actually make your time outside even more effective for your mental health by doing one more thing. Go for a walk. Seriously. A metaanalysis of 15 different studies found that by taking around 6,000 steps per day, it wards off premature death and boost level of psychological well-being. That seems like a pretty achievable goal, all things told. But if you really want to get the most bang for your buck, go for a walk in nature. More studies show that a 60-minute walk in nature versus in an urban environment, it decreases the activity in the amygdala, which is the part of your brain which processes emotions. So this can go a really long way towards getting you out of your rut. Just go for long walks outside in nature.