The lack of sun during quarantine is a reality that affects many families, millions of people around the world are quarantined without being able to have direct contact with anything essential for humans.
It is common to live in a small apartment whose location does not allow you to enjoy the sun. Similarly, in many cities there are also apartments located on the ground floor in narrow streets. At home, all day long, it’s hard to tell if it’s morning or afternoon. These factors can have some impact on health, but especially on everyone’s psychological well-being.
- People are homeothermal.
- Which means that we rely on sunlight not only to regulate our temperature.
- But also to maintain balance in our sleep cycles and perform various metabolic tasks.
- Feeling the heat also has an indispensable and powerful effect on our mental health.
Let’s go a little further on this
Michael Terman is a renowned psychiatrist specializing in chronotherapy, one aspect he has observed throughout his career is how changes throughout seasons and variations in light sources in different buildings affect human behavior. such as mood and weight changes.
Many of us do not know the relevance of this factor in our lives, we are a company accustomed to developing much of our business indoors, under the glare of artificial lights.
The vast majority of people do their work in enclosed spaces, we wake up at dawn and go home accompanied by the sunset.
Once at home, do we continue to use various electronic devices, computers, mobile phones, TVs?So-called blue light technology also alters our circadian rhythms, decreasing melatonin production.
Now, in the current pandemic context and with quarantine as a preventive measure to contain contagion, a new problem arises, the lack of sun in many households can cause damage, let’s look at the consequences and preventive measures that we must implement.
According to a study conducted at the University of California by Dr. Robert Nair, nearly 50% of the world’s population suffers from vitamin D deficiency. One of the main causes is the lack of outdoor activities, i. e. lack of sufficient contact with the sun. .
Lack of sun during quarantine can make this scenario worse, which can cause problems regulating calcium metabolism and weakening the immune system.
Therefore, whenever possible, it is essential to get 20 minutes of sunlight a day. It is necessary to use a balcony, a window, however small, or a corner of the house where a little light enters.
On the other hand, we should not forget that there are other sources of vitamin D, such as dairy, eggs and blue fish.
Staying in a house or apartment without light affects the quality of our sleep, these changes cause insomnia or hypersomnia, or changes in habits, such as taking long naps during the day and not being able to sleep at night. appropriate to follow these guidelines.
There is one aspect that we cannot overlook, our mental health can suffer negative consequences in a sunny space during the forties.
You have to activate the psychological defenses, have the resources at your fingertips and, most importantly, seek support, a dark apartment, in the dark, will increase the feeling of discouragement, so we must take into account some tips:
In conclusion, lockdown is not easy for anyone. However, some people are in more vulnerable situations, let’s keep this in mind, apply certain strategies to improve quality of life in these circumstances, and never stop seeking help if necessary.