I'm Gonna Soak Up the Sun (And So Should You)

Hii friends! Long time(-ish), no Wellness Edit! 

I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend and were able to properly relax – whatever that means to you! 

For a dear friend of mine, I’d gotten up at the crack of dawn Monday morn’ (5AM, really, is quite early for a college student) to celebrate her birthday with the sunrise – which got me thinking, unsurprisingly, about sleeping habits.

I am a notoriously poor sleeper (per the insights of my Whoop), spending far too many hours in a “light sleep” and too few in REM. Then, I’ll succumb to the exhaustion about midday everyday, napping well past the recommended twenty minutes, and the (vicious, vicious) cycle repeats itself. 

So, I broached this subject with my therapist, and she recommended early morning sunlight exposure, among other things (such is the life of an anxiety-riddled girly).

Sunlight exposure – particularly that received in the morning – regulates our circadian rhythm, prompting our bodies to reduce melatonin production and increase cortisol production. 

If it’s been a minute since you’ve taken bio (same here!), melatonin makes us feel sleepy and cortisol (in manageable levels!) makes us feel a bit more alert and focused.

Now, did I return to my bed post-sunrise-birthday? Yes, I did – and I am unashamed!

But, for the hour or so we sprawled on the lakeshore, I’m nearly certain the sunlight had alleviated a bit of my usual Monday grogginess, holiday or not!

So, in the (warbling, hippie) vein of Sheryl Crow, go soak up the sun.

P.S. I am old enough to listen to Sheryl Crow, but her lyrics don't make too much sense to me – like, what is a 45??