With the end of the insane 2008 convention season and the shipping of Teraport Wars, Howard and I have found ourselves with more time and brain space than we have had in over a year. We’ve been spending some of that on home maintenance. Mostly we’re taking care of little things, but it is surprising how much difference a small maintenance task can make. Howard has been focusing primarily on the lighting in our house. He replaced two fixtures that we’ve hated for years. Then he went through the rest of the house replacing light bulbs and talking about replacing other fixtures as well. The thoroughness of his attention to lighting was a little puzzling to me since lighting had not seemed like a big issue to me. Then something he said clicked into place in my head. The days are getting shorter and Howard remembers clearly how hard last winter was on me. We suspect I have a mild case of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I feel more sad/depressed in the winter. Howard is paying so much attention to the light in our house, because he hopes it will help make my winter better. Oh look, it already has.
9 thoughts on “He lights up my life”
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Better light helps too. Do you know if they make “natural light” lightbulbs for that purpose? You certainly don’t need to switch every bulb in the house, but I imagine better light in the two or three places in the house you spend the most time might be helpful.
If you ever want more information about Seasonal Affective Disorder, let me know. I’ve been doing well with my treatment for a few years now.
Putting in natural light bulbs was one of the things that Howard did. It was part of my confusion. Why were we replacing perfectly good bulbs with more expensive ones? Only, now that they’re in, I can feel the difference.
My understanding is that treatment is with special lights in the early morning hours. My experience is mild enough that I’m not sure it qualifies as a disorder. Mostly I treat it by making sure that I spend my afternoons in the sunlit front room. I also grow blooming flowers in the winter. I expect this winter to be much better because I’ve removed many of the stresses which contributed to making last winter miserable.
Oh, excellent. Glad to hear it’s working!
I’d be interested to know more SAD treatments. I have been meaning to get a full spectrum bulb for the lamp by a reading chair, which I hear is also helpful. I get it a bit, too, I think. Enough to want to try a few things this year.
~wendydATliveDOTcom
Sandra, I’ve been surprised by how much those little things make a difference. I’m glad you both have some time on your hands!
I personally use a full spectrum (less UV) light for half an hour each morning. It’s a very bright light, and it sits very close to me (about fourteen inches) and aims straight at me. I kill the time by reading or doing crosswords, or eating breakfast. It has worked wonders for me.
Be careful when buying lights or bulbs, though. There is no governmental standard in place for what gets called “full spectrum” or “natural light,” and not all of them will be as effective. I personally recommend Sunbox.com; a bit pricy, but for me it’s been worth it. I’d needed medication for a couple of years, but not since getting my Sunbox — and when you consider the medication, even with my health insurance, was costing me about $200 a year, I’ve actually saved hundreds of dollars because I’m still on my first bulb.
Also, just as a general rule: take more Vitamin D then you think you need. Even more than the RDA. It will help your body process the benefits of sunlight (whether natural or artificial).
I forgot to add: morning is definitely the best time to use the light. If I use it much after 10:00, I get mild insomnia.
My mother noticed this when she started being a class-room assistant for 8-year olds and the class went to the beach.
Given “Mummy, please hold my coat”, “Yes, dear” is fine as an answer when you have two children.
Given “Mrs Bonner, would you hold my coat?”, “Yes, dear” is not so such a good idea when you are assisting a class of 30!