It’s September. The days are getting shorter. That’s means it’s time for waking up, grabbing a cup of coffee, and sitting under my Sun Box light before the sun comes up. And that’s exactly what I’m doing right now. 

Some of my readers may know that I’ve lived and fought with clinical depression for over a decade. But I also have experienced seasonal depression, which can happen to people even if they don’t have clinical depression.

Seasonal depression is a type of depression that can occur during fall and winter, although I’ve also noticed it in spring. As the tilt of the earth changes, so does the amount of light we receive each day. The changing of the light and having less is what can cause seasonal depression, or SAD. 

The use of a light therapy box can help add light to your days so that you can avoid or help treat SAD. 

According to the Mayo Clinic:

“Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that typically occurs each year during fall and winter. Use of a light therapy box can offer relief. But for some people, light therapy may be more effective when combined with another SAD treatment, such as an antidepressant or psychological counseling (psychotherapy).”

Navigating the market to find the best light can be daunting. If you haven’t experienced SAD before but would like to add light therapy, something like the therapy lights they sell at Costco would be a good choice. However, if you’ve dealt with this before and are trying to either get ahead of it this year or help yourself feel better, I recommend a light that is 10,000 LUX. 

I’ve had my 10,000 LUX light for about 9 years now and it still has the same light bulb as when it first arrived. It is a Sun Box DL. There are many other lamps online, so take your pick. Just be sure to look at the different LUX before buying.

Lots of Love! ~