12 Reasons To Get Some Sun!

If you suffer from Anxiety and/or Depression there is one free resource that you may be overlooking to help you manage your symptoms, Sunshine.
Here in Australia summer is in full swing, but if you’re cooped up at home or in an indoor job it can be easy to go for extended periods without ample exposure to sunlight.  Make sure you make a point of going outside at lunch time or before or after work, the benefits are enormous.
Are you making time to get some sun every day?  If not you are pouring a free health booster down the drain.  Of course it’s important to take precautions as overexposure can lead to skin cancer, however some daily sunlight up to 30 minutes without allowing yourself to burn is essential to our overall wellbeing.

​Exposure to sunshine provides the following benefits:

1. It improves your mood by boosting serotonin. 
2. According to the British Medical Journal it protects you against heart disease by boosting your vitamin D.
3. Thanks again to Vitamin D it can help prevent the onset of diabetes; Studies in Finland found children given vitamin D reduced their risk of developing Type 1 diabetes by 80%.  You can get this free and naturally through exposure to sunlight.
4. Scientists also note that exposure to sunlight in childhood appears to dramatically reduce the risk of developing MS later in life; they note that the incidence is lower in sunnier countries.
5. Warming the body /muscles in the sun eases stiffness and reduces pain caused by inflammatory conditions e.g arthritis.
6. A study conducted in the US National Cancer institute found that vitamin D (again!) reduces the risk of some cancers e.g. breast and colon cancer
7. Melatonin production is reduced by the sun, which means you’ll feel more energised during the day, this is why we need less sleep in summer.  (Taking a melatonin supplement helps with sleep disturbance).
8. It reduces the impact of Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel disorders; again this is due to the boost to Vitamin D.
9. Vitamin D has been shown to reduce polycystic ovary disease PMS.
10. Exposure to the sun helps heal skin conditions e.g. psoriasis, acne and eczema.
11. Sunlight encourages the body to produce white blood cells which boosts immunity
12. Serotonin is an appetite suppressant which is why we tend to eat less in summer.

In the words of the great George Michael “don’t let the sun go down on me”, not at least until I’ve gotten my daily dose of Serotonin and Vitamin D.

If you need help with Anxiety or Depression call me on 0435 923 817 located in Mentone, Hypnotherapy and Holsitic Therapy Melbourne