The winter season is fast approaching and with it is the gloom. Personally, I get very gloomy around the winter. Did you know about Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD as it is popularly known? It is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons making a person particularly moody during the winter. Phototherapy is an effective way to beat SAD. Well, SAD or not, many people treat symptoms as winter blues and brush it off but a better way to deal with it is – yes you guessed it right, by properly lighting your homes, especially by welcoming more sunlight.
It is important to make the most of natural sunlight whenever and wherever available. Try and spend more time outdoors under the sun or make your homes open to receiving ample sunlight. Natural light holds the key to resolving a lot of issues on the physical as well as mental planes of human beings. It is proven that natural light has the effect of increasing the body’s feel-good serotonin levels. Though it is not possible to bring sunlight to your home if facing the opposite direction, here are a few ways to increase natural light in your home.
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Using white/ bright/ light paints – Using brighter or white colors to paint your home boosts the overall natural light in every room of your home. You can also paint the overhangs of your home (soffits) white as these reflect the sunlight inside your home. You can also use other subtle variations of whites if you are not a fan of white interiors. But painting the interior walls/ ceilings white is highly recommended to get more natural sunlight into your home.
Other measures include using highly reflective glossy paints as they have the power to reflect more light thus making your house brighter. These create a mirror-like effect. You can increase the gloss level gradually if you are not very fond of the mirror-like effect. You can also increase mirrors/ glass or reflective tiles in your interiors. Consider installing recycled glass backsplash wherever possible. You may also consider installing skylights as they bring in more consistent light than windows. Other options are sun tubes and sun lamps/ SAD lamps for your homes.
