NEW THING #30:

LIGHT THERAPY

Do you have the winter blues? You may want to try this!

I usually don’t mind snow and cold (I mean I’m Polish living in Canada, duh!). But somehow the last months of winter are always a bit tough on me. And this year seems like sunny Toronto weather changed into never-ending polar vortex gloom. 

So it seems like the perfect time to try Light Therapy!
Exposure to bright light is supposed to be a mood booster and a great treatment for lack of daylight. Sounds great, right? But how can to try if it really works?

Luckily for me, Toronto provides many light therapy options. It’s offered by health professionals, spas & wellness centres, Toronto Public Library has light therapy lamps available  to the public in various locations, and this year MOCA Toronto set up a Light Therapy room.  I chose this last option as it seemed an interesting way to use it, enjoy art, and meet with friends at the same time. 

And it was pretty cool. This particular installation by Apolonija Šušteršič was created around happiness, well-being, and social interaction. So we could read a research report on Light Therapy effects on Happiness. Or just sit around the table and talk to each other.

If you're thinking "yeah, girl, but I don't live in Toronto!" No worries! You can also easily buy a decent light therapy lamp for home use on Amazon.

WAS IT WORTH THE TRY?

Absolutely! We spent probably a bit more than half an hour in the room. I don’t know if it was the lights or extra amounts of belly laughs, but it felt nice & seemed to increase my energy levels. The only downside for me, to achieve the long-lasting effects, it needs to be repeated. So it’s not really a substitute to long summer days & warm spring sunlight on your face. But I’ll take it for now.

Obviously, I’m doing it as yet another thing to try, not instead of medical treatment. I’m not a medical professional & I’m not recommending this to be a substitute for professional medical treatment or therapy. As always, talk to your physician if you have any doubts.

Have you tried light therapy? How do you deal with winter blues?