This time of year can make you feel a little grey.
You don’t need to have Seasonal Affective Disorder to just not want to get out of bed.
With the darker mornings and evenings still here, it can feel like we never even see the sun!
So this week’s Mental Sunshine is about just that though
Making sure you get some physical sunshine (in addition to mental sunshine).
I don’t mean “sunbathing” levels of sunshine – you won’t need to dust off your sunglasses (unless you’re really lucky!)
Instead, just find a way to get your body outside in natural light, as early in the day as possible.
Sunlight on our skin and in our eyes can actually help to wake us up.
More than this, it actually sets off a chain reaction of hormones in the body, beginning with “the sun’s up; it’s time to get up”
And carrying on throughout the day until the evening when we wind down for bedtime.
Getting outside into natural sunlight can also help our bodies to produce serotonin, which helps to improve our mood.
So it really is a win-win – and it’s absolutely free!
Why not take your morning coffee outside, or have a short walk before work?
It doesn’t need to be a clear, crisp winter morning with clear blue skies; Although that is my favourite type of morning
Even if it’s overcast or raining, getting some natural sunlight will still benefit you.
So resist the urge to snuggle back under the duvet, get up and get out
And take your phone camera – you may be lucky enough to get some beautiful sunrise photos…
