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Greeting the day

suemunro

Day follows night, follows day… it’s arguably the most obvious rhythm in nature and one humanity has evolved in, yet modern living is affecting our exposure to light which is impacting our health and wellbeing.



The silhouette of trees against a stunning orange morning sunrise

Natural daylight is a highly underrated part of nature. Modern life has to an extent, disconnected us from this natural rhythm, especially in the city. We evolved as a species to wake with the sun, make the most of being out and about in the daylight to hunt and gather food, and to rest and sleep after sunset.


Today however, many of us spend more time indoors during the day, away from natural daylight than ever before, and in the evenings, we fill our homes with artificial blue light. This has had a huge impact on our Circadian rhythm or natural body clock, which can impact on our sleepiness, wakefulness and alertness at various times during a 24 hour period. It also impacts on other processes within the body such as digestion and the release of hormones.


Getting outside into natural daylight first thing in the morning not only helps to set your body clock, but it also sets you up for the day. Being inside, even in a room with windows is not the same as getting outside into daylight. It doesn’t even have to be sunny - which is just as well living in Scotland. You will still get significantly more light being outside.


As we move into late autumn and head for winter in the northern latitudes, it is even more important to get outside into daylight as much as possible, and as early as possible during daylight hours to help stave off Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD), which as the acronym ironically suggests, is a form of depression that can come on in the autumn and winter and is thought to be due to a lack of sunlight.


A great habit to get into is to get up and outside every morning as early as possible into daylight. Whether it is simply to sit outside with your morning tea, or to go for a short walk, it will set you up for the day. A new day is always an opportunity for a new beginning, whatever the time of year. Going for a walk in a local greenspace first thing is a fabulous start to the day. It is often relatively quiet and peaceful, and you get all the benefits of nature - including the daylight



'What I know for sure is that every sunrise is like a new page, a chance to right ourselves and receive each day in all its glory. Each day is a wonder.' Oprah Winfrey

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