How Sunlight Impacts our Psychology

Sunday, February 24, 2019

How Sunlight Impacts our Psychology - Healthbiztips

You may have known that exposure to sunlight is a beneficial to the body in that it stimulates the skin to produce Vitamin D, but did you know that sunshine has a tremendous impact on our mind.

How Sunlight Impacts our Psychology - Healthbiztips

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

Research has shown that immersion to direct sunlight uplifts the mood, reduces anxiety, increases feeling of satisfaction, and lessens stress.

On the other hand, lack of enough exposure to sunlight, especially due to weather condition or the season, is strongly linked to mental health problems such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (a type of depressive disorder that affects a person during the fall and winter season).

Depressed people are particularly vulnerable to sunshine's positive psychological effect. So, if a person is already suffering from depression but prefers to stay indoor with minimal exposure to sunlight, it can potentially lead to memory impairment and cognitive decline.

Sunlight improves blood flow to the brain. Furthermore, it regulates the wake-sleep cycle (circadian rhythm). Sunshine also balances crucial chemicals in our brain such as serotonin and melatonin.

Exposure to sunlight triggers our brain to release more serotonin, but less melatonin. The increase in the neurotransmitter serotonin uplifts the mood and reduces depressive symptoms. Meanwhile, the decrease in the sleep hormone melatonin causes the person to become energetic and attentive.

It goes without saying that sunshine plays a crucial role in keeping us healthy both mentally and physically. Waking up to a nice warm sunshine is refreshing and invigorating.

Resources:

Kent, Shia T et al. “Effect of sunlight exposure on cognitive function among depressed and non-depressed participants: a REGARDS cross-sectional study” Environmental health : a global access science source vol. 8 34. 28 Jul. 2009, doi:10.1186/1476-069X-8-34

An, Mihyang et al. “Why We Need More Nature at Work: Effects of Natural Elements and Sunlight on Employee Mental Health and Work Attitudes” PloS one vol. 11,5 e0155614. 23 May. 2016, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0155614

Patwardhan, Vivek G et al. “Duration of Casual Sunlight Exposure Necessary for Adequate Vitamin D Status in Indian Men” Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism vol 22,2 (2018): 249-255.