It’s no surprise that we tend to be in a happier, more positive mood on a bright, sunny day. The effects of daylight makes us feel better, hence the medically recognised condition of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), where people who don’t generally suffer from low moods can feel tired, depressed and lacklustre during the darker winter months.
With this in mind, it makes sense to maximise our exposure to daylight wherever possible. People with hectic schedules can still find ways of taking in some fresh air, whether that’s by popping out for a short stroll or grabbing a quick alfresco lunch.
Bringing the outside in
Exposure to daylight doesn’t necessarily have to involve physically going outside. Working at a desk positioned by a window and ensuring that curtains and blinds are fully opened during daylight hours will also help enable light to flood in. A clear view of the outside, be that through large windows or floor to ceiling bi-fold doors, has also proved to improve mental wellbeing, as our recent survey highlighted.
Eight out of ten of those who responded to our survey admitted that a nice view of the outdoors made them feel relaxed and/or positive
Benefits of fresh air and a natural view
There are numerous studies connecting nature with improved mental health. Exposure to fresh air and a natural view has many positive benefits, including:
- Reduced anger, fear and stress
- Reduced blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension
- Improved sleep quality and patterns
- Improved digestion due to an increased flow of oxygen
- Increased ingestion of serotonin
- Strengthened immune system
The quest for a calmer way of life
Previous research highlights how seriously the British public takes mental wellbeing, with many adjusting living patterns for a calmer, more relaxed way of life. More than a third of those who responded to our 2017 survey would consider relocating to the countryside for the peace and quiet rural living offers, with a further 30% admitting they would be drawn to the tranquillity of beautiful scenery.
Fresh air is also the main reason that 31.7% of Brits choose to dine al fresco with the relaxing benefits of eating outside attracting a further 15.6%.
8 top tips for maximizing positivity via fresh air
- Rearrange your working and living space to position your desk or seating area in good natural daylight, ideally looking out over greenery.
- Replace heavy curtains or blinds with lighter window dressings, such as voile drapes or Venetian blinds that can be opened to let in more light.
- Try to step outside during the daytime wherever possible even if it is just for a quick walk around the block.
- Think about how you can integrate fresh air into your daily routine: Remote working offers the opportunity to work at a laptop or take phone calls outside.
- Park further away from work or get off the bus a stop early, just a few minutes in the fresh air will help provide valuable head-space for the day ahead. Likewise, finishing the working day with a short stroll will help you process your day and ease the transition from work to home.
- Look at how light enters your home. Rooms can instantly be opened up with bi-fold doors. Not only will this allow more light into the room, but bi-folds also offer instant access to the outdoors.
- Clean your windows! There is no point having big windows if the view is clouded with dirty handprints and watermarks.
- Consider which rooms in your home have the best outside view, it could be beneficial to swap rooms around to ensure that you are spending the most time in spaces with the most pleasant vista.
