- Morning sunlight
- Try to go outside within 1 hour of waking and expose your eyes to direct sunlight (自然光) for 5-10 minutes
- Increases early-day cortisol release
- Feel free to use the time outside to exercise (jump rope), walk, eat a light breakfast or journal in the sunlight.
- Afternoon sunlight
- Getting some sunlight in the late afternoon/evening serves as a second “anchor point” in our brain’s circadian clock
- Encourages the correct level of melatonin
- Notes
- The particular wavelengths of the sun still come through to trigger positive effects, even if there is cloud cover on overcast days, but you’ll need to increase the time outside to at least 15-20 minutes.
- If it’s dark when you wake up or if the weather prevents you from going outside, flip on as many bright indoor artificial lights as possible — then get outside as soon as the sun is out.
- Trying to do all this through a windshield or window won’t work; too many of the relevant wavelengths are filtered out.
- Contacts and eyeglasses (even those with UV protection) are fine to wear. However, don’t use sunglasses or blue blockers during sunlight-viewing.
- Don’t use screens or indoor lighting as your light source, as they have different spectrums and light profiles for photon energy.
- One can use a light meter app to detect photon energy in the environment.