Happy Hour Tip for the Brain

a favorite practice as the days grow shorter

I worked at a hospital for a brief wintry period a few years ago. My days began in the darkness and by the time I left, it was just about dark again. I nearly always left with a sad, detached feeling after those shifts, even if I went home and exercised or went on a walk.

What I realized later (while working in a store with big windows and doors) was that I am less sad if I can SEE the sun go down—if I can WITNESS the transition from light to dark.

Finally during the thick of the pandemic, when I could end my days a little earlier after working from home, I realized that being outside and watching the sun go down—really being IN that light transition—helped me immensely. I felt less sad and more like I had wound down with the sun.

While not all of us can make it outside for sundown, even taking a peek through the window can be powerful!