Every winter, depending on how far north you live, between one and ten percent of Americans suffer from a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder or more commonly the winter blues. There are many different symptoms to having SAD. You may feel depressed, lose all motivation, feel anxious or alone, and might even shun social contact. If any of this sounds familiar to you, never fear, you can treat your condition with exposure to OTT light bulbs during just an hour a day.
SAD is caused underexposure to natural sunlight. This is exaggerated in winter because there is very limited daylight in the higher latitudes, but can also be a problem year round. At the turn of the 20th century, close to seventy percent of Americans worked outside. Today, that number is much smaller. While we do have easier, higher paying jobs, spending most of our days inside also deprives us of the sunshine that we need to keep our bodies in balance.
The easiest way to treat the winter blues is to get a SAD lamp. SAD lamps emit the full spectrum of light, unlike normal indoor light bulbs, which only emit a small section of the visible light spectrum. Place a SAD lamp at your desk at work to give your body the equivalent to outdoor exposure during the winter. You could notice a change in your depression within a day of treatment, or it could take as long as two to three weeks to feel anything significant.
Not only will a full spectrum light treat your SAD, it could also improve your productivity at work. These lights help bring out more colors and improve contrast, which can reduce eye strain and make you able to work longer without needing a break.
Full spectrum lighting is a great way to treat SAD, but it also has other applications. Find one today to being enjoying the benefits.
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