Enjoying the January sunshine as much as possible ☀️ How is your January going? Living ...

... in northern Europe, we don’t get enough sunshine in the winter months (or all year around, actually) so I try to soak it up whenever I can. 🌥
Did you know about the long list of health benefits that sunshine has for our bodies?
Not only does it produce Vitamin D which reduces the risk of diabetes, promotes a healthy immune system, lowers blood pressure and cancer risk, sunshine also literally lifts our mood by increasing the serotonin production and makes us sleep better at night by supporting melatonin secretion as well.
Essentially, humans are like plants 🌱 we need water and sunshine to thrive ☀️💦 and I can really feel how the sunshine recharges and uplifts me!
Some people might even feel SAD when not getting enough sunshine - literally! SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is a form of depression that is triggered by a lack of sunlight.

So what to do if you are living in a continental climate and might not get as much sunshine as you’d like? ☁️
🔘 Take Vitamin D supplements. Since our bodies can’t produce Vitamin D themselves, it could be wise to take the supplements in order to avoid a vitamin D deficiency
🔘 Get a daylight lamp! Did you know that regular indoor lamps often only provide 10-20% of the LUX (essentially the strength of the light) than natural sunshine on a cloud-free day? These daylight lamps are much brighter and try to imitate the sunlight, sitting in front of them for 30 minutes every morning or even having them as your alarm clock will help wake you up and brighten your mood for the day.

Is the lack of sunshine affecting you? Or are you living in a warm climate where there’s sunshine all year around? ☀️ 🌎