LIFESTYLE | WELLBEING
How Does Sunshine Impact Your Mood And Benefit Your Health?
3 ways you can benefit from spending time in the sunshine
Today, the UK recorded its warmest March day in 53 years, reaching 24.5C temperatures in city centre London. This was just slightly below the UK’s hottest March temperature of 25.6C in Cambridgeshire in 1968.
It was a beautiful day and something we all needed. I took some time to soak up some sunlight in the garden — it truly did wonders to my mind, body and soul.
So, how does sunshine impact your mood and health?
We’re often hearing how too much sun is harmful, to be aware and wear protection. Whilst I agree with being cautious in the sun, I also think we should be able to balance our sunshine intake because of the many mood-lifting benefits.
Increased Vitamin D
When spending time in the sunshine, you’re increasing your intake of Vitamin D. Your body produces this vitamin naturally when it’s directly exposed to sunlight. That being said, if you’ve got no access to sunshine there are ways to get it through certain foods or supplements to ensure you have adequate levels in your body.
It’s important to get a sufficient amount of vitamin D for normal growth and development of bones and teeth as if you don’t get enough, you could be at risk of developing bone abnormalities.
If you spend 10–15 mins a few times a week in the sun, you’ll start to notice a difference. Go spend some time outside, take a walk and soak up the sunshine vitamin but of course, please remember to slap on the sunscreen.
Mood Booster
Sunlight is thought to trigger the release of a hormone called serotonin. This is a hormone associated with boosting your mood but also known to have a calming effect and keep you focused.
With a lack of exposure to the sun, your serotonin levels may dip and with low levels of serotonin, this could cause seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which is a form of depression triggered by the changing seasons. Increasing your time in the sun, will increase your levels of serotonin and helps you fend off SAD.
Improved Sleep
Increasing levels of sunlight have also been linked to increased sleep quality. This stems down to the amount of serotonin that you soak up from the sun, as working in conjunction with serotonin is melatonin. They’re almost the ‘day’ and ‘night’ in hormone terms — although they perform opposite jobs, they must work in harmony to keep the body balanced.
The best way to use these hormones to get a better night’s sleep is to increase your melatonin levels at night and boost your serotonin levels the next morning.
To boost your melatonin at night, try reducing your screen time before bed and dim the lights where possible, in order to create a pre-bedtime routine and help you wind down. And the next day, boost your serotonin levels by opening your curtains and letting in as much sunlight as possible — or better yet, get outside for some fresh air.
Sunlight has many benefits but as I’m sure you’ve heard before, excess sun exposure is linked with an increased risk of skin cancer risk, make sure you’re not staying outside too long without sunscreen. Here's to hoping the weather continues to get better so we can continue to increase our sunshine intake.
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If you’re looking at finding ways to boost your mood and get some sun, read how walking has benefited my life so far.
