It has been said we need sun to live, at least 35 minutes per day. Yet what are we to do when we live in a northern city and work all day? We know how we feel when winter drags on and on through March and even into the end of April. We know how much better we feel once daylight-savings time starts, and we are able to enjoy a few hours of sunlight at the end of each workday. This is an interesting wintertime dilemma that the working stiffs of the world must face year after year.
When the winter wears on and the only light we are exposed to is the fluorescent lighting of our offices, our productivity and feelings of wellness wane. For some people, the dimness of fluorescent lighting in addition to the lack of natural daylight triggers a sleep response, which can increase both mental and physical fatigue. Some people feel they lose their mental sharpness in the winter, while others can become extremely depressed. This is a sad situation, but thanks to the invention of full-spectrum lighting, we can almost enjoy an equivalent range of light frequencies to that of sunlight.
If I had it my way, I would take a trip to Brazil every January or February and bask in the sun for about a month and then return to the workplace feeling re-charged as winter moves into spring. At this point unfortunately, it’s highly unlikely that the average American will be able to enjoy the luxury of a flight to Brazil for an entire winter’s month.
A much less costly way to deal with the winter doldrums is to invest in full-spectrum lighting. One Seattle resident says he feels he is living in Miami when he uses full-spectrum lighting.
Full-spectrum lighting products usually have the same color balance as natural sunlight or at least closely simulate it. Most full spectrum lights also have frequencies of about 25,000 cycles per second. The frequency of fluorescent lighting is much lower at about 60 cycles per second. Therefore, full-spectrum lights lack the flicker that many of us find annoying about the fluorescent lights.
Where can we get full-spectrum lighting?
First of all, try to get outside during your lunch break, even if it is overcast or cold. The little bit of sunshine you can get during lunch can make a big difference, especially for those who do in fact experience the winter blues.
Then, try to buy a few full-spectrum light fixtures at either a plant store or a pet store. We use these lights to help keep our plants and animals healthy, so why not use them for ourselves?
If the lights from the pet store are not powerful enough, there are a number of sites on the Internet that sell full-spectrum light boxes and lamps. It’s very easy to search for these products online. Merely plug in the words “full-spectrum lighting” into your favorite search engine and you will surely be directed to a decent number of vendors.
In any case, if you equip your home with full-spectrum lighting, be prepared to receive many visits from your friends and neighbors during the winter months as they are probably wishing they could take a trip to Miami.