ep —
51

The Power of Sunlight: Protocols for Better Mood, Sleep & Happiness

Listen, watch and subscribe:

It's easy to assume that we'd be happier if we lived somewhere with more sunshine. But how much does sunlight actually matter?

In this episode of Office Hours, I examine what the research says about the relationship between sunlight and happiness, why some people benefit more than others, and how much sunlight you really need. I also share three practical ways to build healthier light habits.

‍

Brought to you by:

• Noble Mobile—With Noble, there is only one plan: The No-Bull Plan. It’s simple. It’s transparent. And if you use less data, you get cash back. Get an exclusive offer at: https://noblemobile.com/arthurbrooks. 

• Helix Sleep—A mattress designed for every body. Go to helixsleep.com/brooks for 20% off sitewide, 25% off Luxe Mattresses, and 30% off Elite Mattresses for their Fourth of July Sale—Extended!

‍

Referenced:

• The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness

• Meaning Membership

• The Happiness Scale

• The Pursuit of Happiness with Arthur Brooks

• The Meaning of Your Life Retreats

• Outdoor daylight exposure and longer sleep promote wellbeing under COVID‐19 mandated restrictions

• What is seasonal affective disorder?

• Potential Role of Vitamin D for the Management of Depression and Anxiety

• Insufficient Sun Exposure Has Become a Real Public Health Problem

• Looking for Sunshine: Genetic Predisposition to Sun Seeking in 265,000 Individuals of European Ancestry

• Using Light for Health

• Effects of Near-Infrared Light on Well-Being and Health in Human Subjects with Mild Sleep-Related Complaints: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

• Does Living in California Make People Happy? A Focusing Illusion in Judgments of Life Satisfaction

guest appearing in this episode

(00:00) Intro

(06:40) What the research shows about the effects of sunlight

(07:57) What Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is

(11:40) The small percentage of people who react negatively to sunlight

(13:17) How sunlight affects mood and the role of vitamin D

(16:48) How much sunlight you need to get the benefits

(19:34) Why some people overdo it with sunlight

(27:25) Make sunshine a daily routine

(32:35) Get your morning light even without the sun

(34:23) When to avoid the light

(35:25) Why you probably don’t need to move to be by the sun

(39:38) Q&A: Finding meaning after a life change

(41:34) Q&A: Relating to friends with different tolerance for conflict

free episode guide

Get this Episode’s Accompanying Guide