Have you ever wondered why people who work night shifts are more likely to experience physical, mental, and emotional distress? Why do you feel lonelier when you sit in the dark for hours? Why does spending time at the beach boost our moods and reinvigorates our bodies? Psychologists—and even the great Hippocrates—believe that the changing seasons are directly connected to our health. The key to being physically and mentally healthy is to spend as much time under the sun as possible.
These days, it’s becoming harder to get the right amount of sunlight. People spend their time indoors at work and home. That’s why they should design their homes with a lot of window installation in Utah. Installing as many windows as your home can accommodate will improve your overall health.
At the very least, if you don’t have time to walk outside before having breakfast and going to work, you can open the windows in your kitchen. Let the sunlight stream inside your house. Go for bigger windows if you’re just designing your home. You can choose to have skylights, too. You should also move furniture that obstructs the movement of sunlight.
But make sure not to remove window treatments such as curtains, drapes, and blinds. People also need to experience being in the dark to maximize the effect of nature on them. This has something to do with people’s circadian rhythm.
Understanding Your Circadian Rhythm
The circadian rhythm refers to the physical, mental, and behavioral changes that depend on the daily cycle of light and darkness. One of the most common examples of the circadian rhythm is being awake during the day and sleeping at night. This is why you feel sluggish in the evening even though you have slept all morning. People who work at night have trouble sleeping in the morning because of low levels of melatonin, which is the hormone responsible for regulating the sleep-wake cycle.
People produce more melatonin during the evening when the body gets ready to sleep. That’s why people feel sleepy at night even as they have spent the morning trying to get more sleep. Those who work the midnight shift still have trouble sleeping in the morning even though they have been awake the whole night. The low presence of melatonin makes the body feel more awake.
This is the reason during the winter months, the production of melatonin levels is also affected. The days are shorter. This means that the melatonin levels are either peaking earlier or later in the day. This affects the natural rhythm of your body. Scientists pointed out that this could also lead to seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This refers to the feeling of lethargy and sadness that people feel when they spend time indoors and the weather is dark and cold outside.
Make it a habit to let the sunlight in your house. Open the windows in the morning and let the sun in until late in the afternoon. Bask in the sunlight by spending as much time as you can outdoors. You can water the plants or wash the car to maximize your time. You’ll slowly realize how this simple act boosts your mood.