Feb 27/22 - How to boost your mood...

Soaking up some sun at the Jungle House
Costa Rica Jan 2022

Want an instant mood booster?
Get out in the sun!
I don’t know of anyone that can be sad if the sun is out. Well unless it's humid or deathly hot but even in climates like that there is always that sweet spot when the sun rises that is the perfect temperature. 

When I spent 2 months in Costa Rica it was HOT, so hot that by 8am you couldn’t walk barefoot on the sand. I spent time in the beautiful Tranquilidad Resort that only had 20 rooms but had the best location. My morning consisted of getting up before 7am to walk to the amazing span of beach from 7-8am, swimming in the pool from 8-9am then back to the room to shower and get ready for Breakfast that was included before 10am. 

Sunrise at the Ylang Ylang Resort
Montezuma, Costa Rica!

So how do you get that amazing serotonin boost when you can’t spend all morning outside walking the beach? 

For starters you have to get outside. If you find yourself in a rainy climate then invest in one of those Sun Lamps to stimulate the sun. Sun exposure, in reasonable amounts, is a huge mood lifter, helps with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and helps with anxiety and depression. 

Waking up with sun EVERY morning can help elevate your mood and
help you face the day so the number one thing I can recommend is to
GET OUTSIDE FIRST THING EVERY MORNING!

Tranquildad Resort, Costa Rica Jan 2022

Some interesting bits of info I grabbed from the PubMed website about sunshine! 

• Did you know around 400 BC, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, routinely prescribed sunbaths? 
  

• Did you know in 1900 more than 75% of the population of North America worked outdoors compared with only 10% by 1970. 

• Did you know malignant melanoma was uncommon until about 50 years ago, it now appears to have become prevalent among office workers and professionals who spend most of their time indoors. 

• Did you know most melanoma lesions occur on areas of the body, such as the torso, that are least exposed to sunlight.

• People are spending much more of their leisure time in front of television and computer screens than basking in the sun which is not good for our mental health!

Want to read more on the connection with sunshine and health, copy and paste this link…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1481673/

​Thank you for following my journey to writing a book series!
Stay balanced,
​LeeAnna