5 Ways Sunlight and Vitamin D Improve Your Focus and Mood

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The shift to remote work has left us divided. Some of us want to remain remote forever, others can’t wait to get back to the office, and some are calling for a hybrid model. There are pros and cons of each, but one downside of working from home has consistently been overlooked — morning sunlight.

For millions of people around the world, their daily commute has been reduced to a short stroll from the bedroom to the study (or the kitchen table). While convenient, this can come at a significant cost to our mood, sleep, and focus.

Sunlight has long been vilified for the deleterious effects of over-exposure, and while we must indeed be sun-smart, the WHO found that ultraviolet rays (UVR) account for only 0.1% of the total global burden of disease.

Direct-sunlight exposure (as opposed to indirect sunlight exposure through a window) plays a number of critical and foundational roles when it comes to optimizing our health and mental performance.

In this video, I explore five benefits of sunlight, and how to get more of the sun's vitamin-D boosting goodness into your day.

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction

01:35 Vitamin D deficiency, immunity, and COVID-19 hospitalizations

02:46 How sunlight regulates mood and emotions

3:26 How sunlight improves cognitive function and focus

4:33 How natural light improves job satisfaction

5:27 How sunlight and Vitamin D improve sleep

SHOW NOTES

1)Source article: https://glaveski.medium.com/how-direct-sunlight-exposure-improves-your-focus-mood-and-creativity-5380bade0529

2) WHO research: http://who/

3) Vitamin D epidemic: https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/135/11/2739S/4669900#:~:text=Vitamin%20D%20deficiency%20is%20now,for%20both%20children%20and%20adults.

4) COVID-19 and vitamin D research: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/new-study-found-80-percent-of-covid-19-patients-were-vitamin-d-deficient

5) UVR and endorphins: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/

6) Light therapy research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6751071/

7) BDNF and sunlight research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3487856/

8) Sunlight and alertness research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3666056/

9) Sunlight and cognitive impairment research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2728098/

10) Natural elements and job satisfaction research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4877070/

11) Vitamin D and sleep disorders: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213953/

PRODUCTS

Vitamin D lamp: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=vitamin+d&ref=nb_sb_noss&_encoding=UTF8&tag=glaveski-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=2f9c49394bad861f2a015b9a5820ec7b&camp=1789&creative=9325Vitamin D supplements: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=vitamin+d&ref=nb_sb_noss&_encoding=UTF8&tag=glaveski-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=2f9c49394bad861f2a015b9a5820ec7b&camp=1789&creative=9325

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The WorkFlow podcast is hosted by me, Steve Glaveski. I'm the founder of innovation accelerator, Collective Campus, the author of several books and numerous Harvard Business Review articles on all things productivity, effectiveness, and high-performance at work.

My mission is to help you unlock your potential to do more great #work in far less time, whether you’re working as part of a team or flying solo, and to set you up for a richer life. You will learn how to level up your mindset, develop #leadership skills in business and in your personal life.

I run workshops, webinars, give talks, and deliver coaching for teams of all sizes - from startup to large corporate, and have done so for the like of OzMinerals, OnRunning, Charter Hall, MetLife, Lufthansa, and numerous organizations around the world.