Our happy hormones run on solar power. Just like the solar panels on your house, our skin soaks up the rays and creates the chemicals in our body that are responsible for boosting our mood.
The simple act of standing in the sunlight for 15 minutes each day can do SO MUCH including:
- Increasing vitamin D production
- Helping you sleep better
- Improving your mood
- Strengthening bones
- Lower blood pressure
What do you do when the sun isn't shining?
In the winter months when we have decreased sunlight, many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. Since we are not exposed to sunlight, our vitamin D and serotonin tend to decrease. There are a few options to turn your frown upside down.
If you want to change the world, start by making your bed. This is one of my favorite motivational speeches by … He is SPOT ON with this advice.
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What the Heck is DOSE and why does everybody need it in their life?
DOSE stands for Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins and are neurotransmitters, often called the "feel-good hormones" that are responsible for our feelings of happiness. Our brains are wired for survival, when we do something good, we are rewarded with good feelings. For example, we need to eat to survive, so our bodies trigger dopamine when we eat good food.
When all four of these neurotransmitters are created, we feel good, which leads to motivation, which leads to productivity and so on. Long story short...we need to trigger these on a daily basis to create happiness. When we lack one or more of these, this leads to feeling lethargic, unmotivated, anxious, depressed...you get the idea.
How do we create DOSE Daily?
I always say, in order to bake a cake, you need the ingredients and you need to do the action (mixing and baking). Same with DOSE...we need nutrients in our body to CREATE each element. Once we have the ingredients, we need to take ACTIONS to trigger them.
We've all had those days where nothing seems to go right. You start out stubbing your toe on the bed and it goes downhill from there. But, what if I told you that I had a secret magic trick to turn it all around? It's a simple trick, but not always easy to do.
I log a lot of screen time hours, as I'm sure most of us do now days. With computers, cell phones and televisions we are constantly staring at the screen. When it hits bedtime, sometimes it's difficult to fall asleep. There are many reasons including not being able to shut off our brains, but one of the #1 culprits is technology.
Our bodies were designed with an internal clock called the circadian rhythm. We wake up with the sun and go to sleep once it sets. Now, with artificial light, our bodies get confused. When we wake up and are exposed to sunlight, we get a boost of serotonin. During the day, the sun emits blue light, which is a frequency of light that enhances our serotonin the most. When the sun begins to set, notice the reds and oranges, this is the point where there is very little blue light and we begin the cycle of producing melatonin and begin to wind down.
When we watch television or scroll social media, we are still exposing our bodies to a high dose of blue light, which screws with our internal clock. How do we fix this? Well, the obvious fix is to shut off electronics at sunset, but since we are in a digital age where that is not always preferable, instead, I invested in gamer glasses!
Why Gamer Glasses?
You can do a search for blue light glasses which will block the blue light on electronic devices, but after hours of research I found that gamer glasses had the most research and benefits to them. Not only do they block blue light, which is a huge benefit to people who generally game at night time, they also help with headaches, dry eyes, blurry vision and eye strain that are symptoms of extended screen time.
Since I've started using my gamer glasses while working on my computer and scrolling on my phone, I've noticed a HUGE difference! I found I can perform my best while protecting my eyes as I block the blue light, reduce computer glare, improve my focus and reduce dry eyes.
When I'm done for the day, I don't have the normal fatigue since wearing the glasses. If you are in front of the screen for most of the day and are having a hard time sleeping or have digital eye strain, it's definitely worth checking out. Here is a link to the glasses I use:
I recommend doing your own research and finding the best solution for you.
On a side note, I think I look more serious and intelligent while working.
