Importance of sun

 

During one of my difficult periods in which I could not go out of my apartment, my mother convinced me with great effort to get out on our balcony and sit there for 5 minutes to enjoy the sun.

It caused me so much stress, but I had heard that sunshine helps with mental health. I have read before that people who live in areas with more sun are happier and calmer. I was counting the minutes sitting on the floor next to the door of the balcony so I could go inside fast and prayed the sun did its job.

I found an interesting article the other day from PubMed Central about the sunlight exposure and mental health. The article states “people living in areas with longer and higher sunlight exposure levels exhibit fewer depressive symptoms and were less likely to report suicidal thought. Additionally, seasonal increases in sunlight duration are associated with decreases in mental health distress.”

Furthermore, according to Tri-city Medical Center the sun helps by “increasing vitamin D, improving the mood, providing higher quality sleep, makes your bones stronger, lowers blood pressure.”

This is how important the sunlight is. I always feel better when the day is clear and there is a lot of sun. I admit that during the summer I feel at my best. Even having difficult periods they pass faster. On a sunny day, I try to spend at least 10 minutes outside to get some benefit from it. Do not forget to put some sunscreen!