I am not a fan of daylight savings time. Changing the clocks in the winter makes the days feel so much shorter and unproductive. Over the past few years, I have heard of people using “Happy Lights” to treat the seasonal depression that often accompanies the long dark winters. This year, I decided to invest in the light to see if it is worth the hype.
Prior to getting my own light box, I didn’t really understand what light therapy entailed or what effects it would have. Very simply, light therapy uses a lightbox that filters out UV rays to simulate the sunlight in order for your brain chemicals to balance in periods of time when you see very little sunlight (e.g. the winter). However, it is not only effective for seasonal depression, light therapy can also be used to treat jet lag, sleep disorders, and adjusting to a nighttime work schedule.
It is recommended that you do light therapy in the morning as to not disrupt your body’s natural circadian rhythm. Thus, I have turned my light on every morning for about the last month. Despite feeling stressed with school work, I have yet to have any seasonal depression symptoms which I have experienced in my prior semester. I simply have the light on as I get ready and do chores in the morning. I also find that in my west-facing dorm room, this light is also great at supplementing the lack of morning light I get which is a great way to wake up before class. Whether it’s a placebo or not, it has seemingly been working for me so far and I would encourage anyone to try it out if they get the winter blues.
If you think that a “Happy Light” might be right for you, I would recommend that you check Amazon. They have a lot of affordable options for about $30!