The power of morning light to transform your energy levels
Are you finding waking up WAY easier now that the lighter mornings are here? I certainly am, and there’s good (scientific) reasons for it too… ultimately, light is what regulates our sleep-wake cycle!
If you think about it, before the clock was invented, light was the time keeper ~ this is how our ancestors knew when it was time to wake up and when it was time to sleep
But while getting morning light might seem like a simple “nice to do”, it is actually an extremely powerful way to transform both your energy levels and your mood for the rest of the day!
Let’s break this down…
Understanding the “cortisol curve”
First off, what is cortisol? It is one of the stress hormones that it is secreted by the adrenal glands in response to a stress or threat, but it also plays a vital role in many of the body’s functions ~ including your sleep-wake cycle
It’s role in this process all comes down to what is known as the “cortisol curve” ~ i.e. the pattern in which cortisol is released, which you can see in the picture below
As you can see from, cortisol:
starts to rise from about 3am until it hits it peak at 7-8am each morning ~ cortisol gets your blood pumping, your heart rate up and your mind focused on what’s needed to feel alert so this is what wakes you up in the morning
stays at this peak until around 12pm when the levels slowly begin to decline
reaches its lowest levels late in the evening (when the sun goes down) ~ it’s this dip that allows your body and mind to switch off and get ready for bed
So why morning light?
Well, exposure to natural light (especially in the morning) is what synchronises and regulates the cortisol curve!
Research has shown that getting daylight first thing in the morning helps to reinforce your body's internal clock, optimising cortisol production and enhancing your alertness and vitality during the day ~ this is because when light enters the eyes, the retina relays it to the brain, which triggers the cascade of hormones to stimulate the peak in cortisol first thing
And it doesn’t just impact cortisol, it also influences the production of other hormones like melatonin (your sleep hormone) and serotonin (your happy hormone). Being in natural light:
suppresses melatonin production, signalling to your body that it's time to wake up, and
triggers the release of serotonin
So it is not only about your energy levels, but also your mood and stress levels ~ serotonin has an anti-depressive effect and so higher levels helps to give you a mood boost and lower your stress levels
How to get that morning light
What’s great is that all it takes is 15 minutes for you to get the benefits (or 20 minutes if it’s cloudy), with it being most beneficial if you can do it within the first hour of waking
But if you cannot get outside, opening your blinds and sitting by the window is another option ~ I like to make a cup of green tea first thing, open the window and spend the time it takes me to drink it looking outside and soaking in as much of the light as possible
Other tips I love are: putting your desk near a window to get light throughout the day or doing more outside, whether it’s going for a walk, a run, or just taking 5 minutes to sit outside
Although one thing to remember is that sunglasses will stop you getting the benefits ~ so on those (beautiful) sunny days, leave them off for the first 15-20 minutes!
Conclusion
If stress and your energy levels are something you’re struggling with, send me a message and we can chat about how to get you feeling energised and motivated again!
And if you sign up to my newsletter, you’ll be getting exclusive access to my new masterclass on how to break the cycle of stress that is coming in May!