6 Incredible Benefits of Natural Light
Going way back to primitive times, sunlight was an essential part of our everyday survival. This mystic, spectacular (and sometimes frightening) source of fire and energy provided all of our light and heat. And today, not much has changed. This ball of fire in the sky is still our primary source of light and heat, and without it, let's just say that things would not be looking good for us.
Throughout thousands of years of evolution, we were regularly exposed to natural sunlight. Our circadian rhythms (which govern the quality of our sleep) rose and set with the sun. So, it's really not surprising to see how intensely natural light (or lack thereof) affects us! In this post, we'll shine a light on 6 benefits that natural light brings to our mind, mood, and body.
1. Boosts your body's supply of vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient our body needs to absorb calcium, promote healthy bone growth, and prevent certain cancers, heart disease, depression, and weight gain. On the flip side, scientists suggest that vitamin D could effectively treat other disorders and diseases, such as autism, cancer, diabetes, chronic pain, and depression.
Yet, thanks to our indoor lifestyles and lack of outdoor sun exposure, so many Americans are deficient in vitamin D. Making sure to take in a healthy dose of natural light by going outside can help improve your overall health and well-being, giving your body the sunshine shot of vitamin D it needs.
2. Benefits your vision
You may know that vitamin A is good for the eyes, but did you also know that natural light plays a vital role in our vision health? Natural light can help to balance and prevent some of the ill effects of fluorescent lighting.
Computer screens, smartphones, and fluorescent lighting can cause eye strain that leads to permanent eye damage (yikes!). Luckily, natural light has been shown to benefit vision by lowering the risk of nearsightedness in children and young adults by helping the eye produce dopamine, which is crucial for healthy eye development.
3. Helps you get better, more restful sleep
At first, it may sound counterintuitive to think that sunlight can help you sleep better, but it all goes back to our body's ancient circadian clock. Research shows that the amount of sunlight you receive during the day directly impacts how much sleep you get at night. The studies show that direct sunlight, especially in the early morning (for at least half an hour), produces the most benefit for a good night's sleep.
At the same time, artificial lighting can disrupt your body's production of melatonin. In fact, the artificial lighting radiating from your phones, TVs, and lighting systems before bed can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer if you're consistently unable to obtain quality sleep.
4. Improves our psychological well-being and wards off seasonal depression
The benefits of natural light influence our physical well-being, psychological health, and mood. Scientists have found that a lack of daylight can make us feel down, depressed, and anxious. It’s also common for people to experience Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, a type of depression that affects many people in the winter when they don't receive enough sunlight.
While going out in the cold during the winter seems like a drag, getting enough natural light into your life can actively combat the adverse effects of insufficient sunlight. Other studies have shown that improved access to natural light can reduce your level of agitation and stress.
The moral of the story? Getting more natural light throughout our day simply makes us feel better.
5. Cultivates more happiness
I may have already convinced you that getting enough natural sunlight during your day can positively affect your mental health, especially when it comes to mood. But if you need more evidence, here's some:
Scientists believe that the "happy" hormone, serotonin, increases when nights are short and days are long (hello, summer!). To ensure your serotonin levels don't dip too much during the colder, darker times of the year, many psychiatrists recommend you get out in the sunlight for at least 30 minutes a day to help prevent or treat seasonal depression.
6. Increases productivity and focus
Becoming more productive and focused in our everyday lives is important for most of us. We all need to be productive (especially considering how much we have on our plates).
From the moment our alarms go off in the morning, and we start getting ready for the day, we need to be focused and efficient. And our success in our jobs and everyday lives is often judged by how much we can get done with the time and resources we have. We've been searching for the productivity key for so long, little did we know that the secret could be as simple as natural lighting.
While it's not as simple as “step outside for half an hour each day to get 30% more done,” there are strong links between the benefits of natural light exposure and our overall productivity. This is particularly true in the workplace, where natural light exposure has been linked to improved focus, efficiency, creativity, and less illness with reduced absenteeism. Additional research has found the benefits of daylight exposure at work included everything from improved morale (yay!) to an increased ability to remember numbers backward (so cool?!).
And, of course, we have to give a second shout-out to sleep. Science shows that one of the most significant factors directly related to our productivity is our sleep quality — and plenty of evidence highlights that if we sleep better, we work better.
It all adds up to one simple conclusion: There are SO many benefits in store for you if you can motivate and get yourself out into the sunshine and natural light, especially in the dark and cold times. So, bundle up, buttercup, and get outside! :) You’ll be so glad you did.
