Beat the Blues… With the Flick of a Switch!

Article revised on 19 June 2017

Do you have the winter blues with the cold season just around the corner? If so, light therapy may be for you!

This simple non-invasive technique consists of exposing yourself to a light box that imitates the effects of the sun. For maximum benefits, have daily sessions starting in the fall, continuing until the end of winter.

• Don’t look directly at the light. It should reach your eyes indirectly.
• 30 minutes each morning, during the fall and winter months
• Position it 20 inches (50 cm) from your face (the farther the distance, the longer the exposure time)
• 10,000 LUX of white light with an ultraviolet (UVA + UVB) filter (If the light box emits only 5,000 LUX, the exposure time is twice as long)

Source: ementalhealth.ca