Monday January 21, is supposedly the most depressing day of the year. A pseudo-science underpinning of this phenomenon points to a new day we need to consider every year. While it’s not realistic to name an exact day, this period can be a critical time for people that deal with the winter blues. Light therapy can noticeably reduce the symptoms of winter blues.
Winterblues
The most important winter blues symptoms are: sleeping more, increased appetite, snacking, irritability, and fatigue. Snacking and eating more can lead to unwanted weight gain. It is just after the good intentions of the new year that the effects of winter seem to work on the mind.
Origin Blue Monday
British psychologist Cliff Arnall, the father of blue Monday, had a complicated formula for it. A mixture of unrealized intentions, the first pay checks, debts, and the impact of the weather. The last one is what drives us, according to Toine Schoutens, a leading expert in light therapy. “It is actually very simple. In the winter, we get too little light and we often compensate for this using the wrong artificial light. The illustration makes it very clear. People exposing the retina to 30 minutes of the correct wavelength of light at the right moment will find that winter blues are a thing of the past. This is scientifically proven. A healthy sleep/wake rhythm with enough light is the secret to being winter blues free during the darker winter months. It is actually not so much the weather, but the light that is crucial.”
Reserach
For anyone who would like to dive deeper into the data around winter blues, there are two interesting studies. The first is about the effect of light on our moods and the second is about the possibility of combating the winter blues with light therapy. I should also be mentioned winter depression is more serious than winter blues, and it is advisable to see your physician concerning individual situations.
• 1 Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) symptoms and causes, winter depression (serious) and winter blues (mild) in a recent article from the Mayo Clinic, a leading treatment center in the US: Read
• Treatment of winter depression and winter blues in a recent article from WebMD: Read
In the appendix of a fairly recent article by Dr. Ybe Meesters (RUG) – Propeaq does have much less blue light than in the article (600 lux versus 35 lux) but the light in the glasses is much closer to the eye and that compensates for the difference.
Special offer
In order to let everyone experience the value of getting enough light, Propeaq, has a special for Blue Monday. For this one day, the light glasses that can help combat winter blues are available for only 199 Euro instead of the normal price of 239 Euro. The glasses are available for purchase on bol.com. More information about light therapy and the use of light glasses in sports, night work, and jet lag can be found at Propeaq.com
