Do you feel depressed or down? For you, a bright light treatment could alter everything. This method can help control mood, enhance well-being, and even increase energy levels by simulating natural sunlight.
Its benefits are year-round, but it’s especially helpful for people who suffer from seasonal depression. The publications listed below provide information on how bright light can improve mental health and elevate your mood.
According to Everyday Health, Bright light therapy, a standard treatment for seasonal depression that’s triggered by dark days during the winter, may also help people who experience depression throughout the year.”
Raymond Lam, a psychiatry professor at the University of British Columbia, mentions that if you get the right kind of lightbox (also known as a light therapy lamp) and use it properly, bright light therapy can be an effective intervention either by itself or in conjunction with antidepressants.
Using bright light therapy first thing in the morning will have the greatest positive impact on your mood. This is due to the fact that this is the best moment to align with your biological clock, or circadian rhythm, and activate brain chemicals that are believed to elevate your mood, according to the psychiatry professor mentioned above.
Very Well Health advises individuals to ensure that “it has the right intensity to get the most out of your light therapy lamp, experts recommend using one that offers 10,000 lux of light exposure.”
The above source further explains that when anticipating results, have patience as the duration of light therapy’s effects is unknown. According to some studies, you can start to experience results after just one session. While some studies, however, suggest that to have the greatest effects, you might need to use light therapy lamps regularly for a few weeks.
Also see: Tips to overcome loneliness
