Today’s topic, on the power of light and its effect on our health, brings back memories of a song popular in my teen years. I’m dating myself, but you might remember the song “Age of Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In” by the 5th Dimension. The song spent six weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in the spring of 1969 and was eventually certified platinum in the US by the RIAA.
Well, since I read this article, the song is like an earworm playing over and over in my head. “Let the sun shine… let the sunshine in… The sunshine in…” Anyway, I digress…
Today, let’s explore how we can harness the power of light to improve our mental and physical health.
Today’s Theme: The Power of Light
Quote
“If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.”
– Morris West
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.”
– Walt Whitman
Article
Using Light for Health
By Andrew Huberman
I consider viewing morning sunlight in the top five of all actions that support mental health, physical health and performance… Viewing sunlight within the first hours of waking (as soon as you can, even if through cloud cover) increases early-day cortisol release (the ideal time for elevated cortisol) and prepares the body for sleep later that night. [Read more]
https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter/using-light-for-health
Questions
Although Andrew Huberman does focus on sunlight, he also highlights the power of light in general and how we can leverage it for different purposes at different points in the course of our day.
- What is one idea or “ah ha” you got from today’s article?
- How might you begin to put it into practice?