Your body on natural light: energy, mood and more
tl;dr Natural light syncs our biological systems. If you feel better when you get outside first thing in the morning, that’s science. Take off the sunglasses for 10 minutes if it’s sunny and 20 minutes if it’s cloudy. Phone in your bag.
This is part 1 of a 3-part series on light and the body.
Your body on natural light: energy, mood and more
Light and sleep: it matters
Sun exposure and vitamin D
The topic of sun exposure popped up a couple of times in my life in the last few weeks. I decided to write about it.
I hope it’s helpful!
Walk to class, E. Houston
Here’s what happened this week.
I had a 30 minute meeting online at 9am which extended past 10am. I went straight from that into class, also online, which ended at 11:30am.
I left my apartment for the first time that day around 11:45am. I had lower energy and my digestion felt weird — for the rest of the day. It’s not a one-off, it’s happened before.
Many of us are inside for most of the day,
whether that’s in an office building, working from home, or jumping right into ‘inside activities,’ often screens
because that’s what we’re used to.
What do we lose when we’re inside?
Walk to the farmer’s market, Tompkins Square
Natural light exposure syncs biological processes
“In the past, humans experienced predictable periods of daily light and dark driven by the solar day, which allowed for entrainment of intrinsic circadian rhythms to the environmental light–dark cycles.”
What’s impacted?
Regulation of hormone secretion, cellular function, and gene expression among others
[source]
Coffee walk, Maryland
What’s the circadian rhythm & what controls it?
“Circadian rhythms are the physical, mental, and behavioral changes an organism experiences over a 24-hour cycle.”
Light and dark have the biggest influence on circadian rhythms.
[source]
Circadian rhythms optimize energy expenditure and the internal physiology of the body.
[source]
ah, so feeling sluggish and bloated was not something I imagined. ⬆️
Mt. Fuji 7:50am
What other systems of the body are impacted by natural light exposure?
Immune system
Helps the body fight infections and other diseases
Endorphin system
Release of the body’s ‘natural opiates’
[source]
Metabolic system
Changes food into energy, uses the components of food as building blocks, eliminates waste
“…light exposure or deprivation profoundly affects glucose homeostasis, thermogenesis and other metabolic activities…”
[source]
East River Park
Easy ways to get natural light in your eyes for 10-20 minutes prior to 9am
Extend your commute to work
Add a post-subway or post-drive walk before entering your office building
Walk your dog
Schedule an early exercise class
If you’re driving, take a few walking loops outside before entering the gym
Coffee (or tea) walk
Walk to a cafe or buy a travel mug and take it on your walk
Grocery walk
Have a market nearby? Pick up some veggies or fruit.
No-other-reason-needed, before-you-get-distracted walk
Add it to your morning routine
Shoot for 20 minutes if it’s a cloudy or rainy day.
Why does the time-of-day matter?
The sun’s wavelengths change throughout the day. Circadian rhythms are set when the sun is lower in the sky.
[source]
A note on food.
Unless you’re under medical supervision which requires you to eat first thing in the morning, it’s unlikely eating is a reason to delay getting outside for 20 minutes. If you have concerns, talk to your doctor.
A note on phones.
I keep it in my bag. There’s nothing urgent there when I’m walking. Looking at the trees, the flowers, the birds helps reduce stress and calms the mind.
Rain, shine or snow
Have fun. Sometimes I call it my dog-less walk. Sometimes I call it my circadian walk.
It’s possible it becomes a health non-negotiable and something you look forward to.
When I was working from home when the office closed during the pandemic (and my morning commute was gone),
I noticed my patience level at work was significantly higher when I got outside first and didn’t go straight into screen-time. Maybe you can relate.
It’s not easy to ignore the distractions. There’s always another way to spend our time.
To build a new habit, it helps to name it, write it down, plan it, make it part of your identity, whatever works for you.
My NYC walk doesn’t look like this, but you may have a park nearby
Try this experiment
Get a walk in every day before 9am for a week. Then try a day not leaving your house till noon.
Do you feel a difference in your body
mood, energy level, digestion
on the walk days?
If you don’t notice a difference after one week, give your body time to adjust and your mind time to adjust to tuning-in to what’s happening internally.
Moab, Utah
Is viewing light through a window just as good?
It’s not. The same goes for wearing sunglasses.
Some of the wavelengths (that matter) are filtered out.
[source]
All natural light works. If it’s cloudy, you benefit. If it’s raining, you benefit.
If it sounds like another thing to do, remember, it’s just getting outside. ☀️
Soho, NYC
If you decide to add a morning walk, I’d love to hear about it.
Thanks for reading!
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