My husband asked if my happy light really works

“Does that thing really work for you?” asked my husband last night.

Me: “Um, heck yes, noticeable difference in my energy and how I feel, especially with all the rain we’ve been having.”

Him: “But how is it any different than those lights?” pointing to the vanity lights in our bathroom.

We’re talking about my Happy Light (That's an affiliate link. If you buy through it, I earn a small commission at no cost to you.), one of the major players in getting me through the dark of winter and keeping my mood and energy stabilized.

Yep, this is me right after waking...greasy hair and all.🙃

Here's what I told him.

"Those vanity lights are bright. But not that bright. Most indoor lighting is a few hundred lux at most. A cloudy day outside is around 1,000 or more. My light puts out 10,000 when I stand or sit a foot or two away."

So it's less like a really good light bulb.
More like a sunny morning I can plug in.

In essence, it’s a therapy light that gives you more sunlight during a time when we just don’t see the sun as much or it’s not as bright in the sky because the earth is tilting away from it.

And for the science geeks out there who need to know the “why” in life (🙋‍♀️ myself included), it has to do with supporting your body’s serotonin and melatonin production which help with mood and circadian rhythms, respectively.

The light does something to your eyes the way morning sunlight does and essentially helps your body’s clock start for the day. This is why using it first thing in the morning is best. (But don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t happen exactly within the first 60 minutes of waking, instead offer yourself compassion and move on, finding time in front of it when you can in the morning.😉)

I started using a Happy Light about 4 years ago because I wanted to see if it would help me feel more positive in the winter… to have a better attitude.

Not only did it do that, but life didn't feel as “cloudy” during that winter as it had in the past. I felt like I had more energy and was in a better overall mood, not dreading the cold, and often dreariness, of being in the Midwest during winter.

What I noticed most was the shift in outlook on the world… trusting that even this too (the cold and lack of sunlight) would pass and I would make it through it.

When the days start to get noticeably shorter with daylight, heck even just before then, it’s time to pull the light out.

This year it was September.

With more than average cloudiness and rain, this tool arrived on my bathroom shelf much sooner this year than it typically does because I was noticing a downturn in my energy and mood sooner than normal.

My light therapy lamp is about the size of a rectangle table-top cosmetic mirror. I like to think of it as kinda like my little personal sun that sits on my desk, kitchen table, bathroom shelf or counter, or hangs on the wall… anywhere I can be within a couple feet of it and be doing something else while letting it shine on me is perfect.

For me, I get up to about a max of 20-25 minutes in the darkest part of winter, but for now I’m just spending 5-10 minutes in front of it each morning.

The light I use takes care of the timing for you, which is one of my favorite things about it… it gives me one less thing to think about as I start my day.

It has a built-in timer that can be set in 5 minute increments up to one hour.

For me, I know when I’ve spent too much time in front of the light because I’m more irritable and short-tempered with my family. My nervous system feels jumpier, like it’s had one too many cups of caffeinated coffee.

For someone else, it may be that their “too much” is having a hard time falling asleep at night or a headache that’s not typical.

There’s a balance in how much light therapy a person may need and this sort of therapy might not be for everyone. If you have any pre-existing conditions like bipolar disorder or certain eye conditions like glaucoma, cataracts or diabetic eye damage, you will want to check with your doctor before buying one.

My lived experience is certainly not medical advice. I use it to help with general winter blues, not clinical SAD, so please seek medical advice before using something like this if you tend towards seasonal depressive disorder.

So if you’re thinking about getting one, here’s what I’d look for...

You just want to make sure it’s at least 10,000 lux and UV-free.

The smaller the light, the longer you’ll want to stay in front of it.

I’m not typically one who likes super bright lights in the morning and I usually try to keep as many lights off as possible as I navigate the morning hours, which is why I appreciate that this light has an adjustable brightness and color of light to it.

Even though it’s still really bright, I can set it to a soft light color rather than bright white and dim it to the level that I can tolerate knowing that the benefit far outweighs my discomfort in bright lights in the morning.

That’s the light on my bathroom shelf right now. If you want to see the one I use, here it is.

Cheers,
Cathy

P.S. Hit reply and tell me where you'd put one in your morning. Desk? Kitchen table? By your journal chair? Bathroom shelf?

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My body's rhythms follow the rhythms of nature when I let them.

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