A sunny day, in the world’s sunniest continent, is often taken for granted. The intensity of the sunlight can pose a danger over long periods, and constant vigilance is often needed to avoid painful sunburns. For many of us, sunlight has been vilified as somewhat of a nuisance, with fear of skin cancer dominating our thoughts on the matter.

At Superskylights’ skylight shop in Perth, we are constantly educating people on the tenets of safe exposure. Because along with this avoidance of sunlight has been a complementing rise in mental health issues. The fast pace and competitive nature of modern life has bred an atmosphere of constant tension, contributed to greatly by a fixation on electronic devices.

These trends are not unrelated. As a species, we evolved in the sun, and it has grown to dictate our circadian rhythm and sleep patterns. We metabolise various important substances using sunlight, and it improves our energy levels. The modern trend of sun avoidance has become a noted mental health issue, as people are simply not receiving enough as their evolutionary forebears.

There are several consequences to this. For one, when you receive natural sunlight, your brain releases endorphins – essentially your body’s way of saying ‘well done’. They impact upon your opiate receptors, relaxing your state of mind and body, and direct sunlight exposure sets them to work. If you are in the market for a quick method of relaxation, ten to fifteen minutes in the sun are an excellent mood lifter.

And at our skylight shop in Perth, we can bring this bounty right in to your home. Part two of this article goes in to more depth about the benefits of natural sunlight.