Morning Sunlight

How we feel matters, and how we start the day quietly shapes how we feel all day.

Part of this is hormonal. Cortisol, a hormone that helps us feel awake and alert, can become mistimed by constant stimulation - artificial lights, phones and other modern stresses on the body. This can leave us feeling tired in the morning and wired later in the day.

Natural sunlight can be thought of as a cue, not a cure.

When it reaches our eyes, it is a signal to the body: “It’s daytime now”.

Getting this signal within the first 60 minutes of waking will spike your cortisol hormone earlier, so you feel more alert in the morning. It will also allow cortisol to tail off towards the end of the day, so you can wind down in the evening and sleep better at night.

This doesn’t need to be complicated.

The simple daily ritual:

• What: Natural sunlight reaching your eyes, no sunglasses (do not look directly at the sun, but if you need to squint that’s a good sign)
• When: Within 60 minutes of waking, for 10-20 minutes (1 minute is better than nothing)
• Pair it with: Morning exercise, walking the dog, or simply step outside with intention

This still counts if life gets in the way…

• If you wake up before sunrise - when the sun is up, getting outside even momentarily will still bring you benefit
• If it’s always cloudy - this is even more reason to get natural sunlight (through the clouds)

How we start the day sends a quiet message to the body. Our simple daily rituals are about encouraging everyday wellbeing. Give this a go, but see it as an experiment, not a rule.

See how you feel over the next few days.