I recently took a trip somewhere without a fridge, which meant I had to go out every time I wanted a meal.
Sounds like a chore, doesn’t it? Interestingly, I kind of enjoyed the morning walks. I seemed to be more tuned into the day ahead, and turned out to be more productive!
So, that got me thinking. Was it the fresh morning air? There was definitely nothing fresh there! Was it the physical exercise I got from walking? It couldn’t be all that, I already had an indoor morning exercise routine.
Then a new idea dawned on me. Maybe it had something to do with the sun! I start looking into it and sure enough, I even found research to back me up.
Here’s all about how light exposure can help cognitive functions, and how I’m using it!
What the Research Says about Light, Brain, & Mood
Light exposure is important to the human body, but why? The answer goes back years ago, to our ape ancestors.
Without phones or fluorescent lights, these clever apes relied on sunlight for when to go out, work, and sleep. When it was bright outside, they went hunting, foraging, and all kinds of productive activities. When the light dimmed, they went back to camp because they couldn’t see any food to find or predators to defend against.
This process, repeated for thousands of years, has given us internal biological clocks. In scientific circles, these clocks are better known as circadian rhythms. You may associate the term with sleep, especially if you’ve read a little about the subject.
These rhythms are at work all day though, not just at night. Long story short, your brain is constantly looking for sunlight as a sign to get active. But modern humans that we are, we sit under flimsy light bulbs in offices and expect our brains to perform. Plus, we never turn off those lights! Do you see where I’m going with this?
Confused Circadian Rhythms
Science backs this up. For instance, a 2024 study published in Communications Psychology has many interesting findings about the role of light in our lives.
Part of the paper gives an in-depth explanation of how light stimulates intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) in our eyes, which signal the internal clock that it’s still daytime. We’ve already covered that one in simpler terms.
The paper also explains that melatonin (the sleep hormone) is typically released some hours before sleep, but light exposure “suppresses” it. Combine these two facts together in today’s modern world, and you’ll know why so many of us have trouble sleeping. Our bodies are confused! This is why unplugging is one of the things I do before bed. (Be sure to check out the article for a whole section on lighting at night.)
And the bad news isn’t quite over! The study above has also found that we seem to adjust our environments to validate our moods and behaviors. For example, the “night owls” among us usually have more lights on at night, so they’re also more active then. (Is that the reason that these people perform better at nighttime? It’s a valid question!)
By now, we know that light stimulates the body into becoming more active, and our lamps and screens are heavily interfering with that. But unplugging before bed isn’t all we can do for our confused biological clocks. Let’s use light to our advantage!
Light Can Improve Cognitive Function (When it Should!)
Light also plays a major role in brain function, according to a 2019 paper published in Somnologie.
Are you familiar with serotonin? It’s another hormone in our brains, and this one is responsible for a host of things including mood, cognitive function, memory, etc. My therapist mentioned it to me once to encourage me to go running. All sports bring you that extra serotonin which helps with, well, everything! As the paper says, daylight also helps raise your serotonin levels.
And there’s more good news! The study has also found that morning exposure to bright light helps with tuning your circadian rhythm, which in turn helps you sleep better at night.
If you need more convincing, the paper also mentions that an average office has a brightness of about 500 lux. On the other hand, daylight can reach up to 100,000 lux! No wonder we’re all depressed.
How I’m Using Light
I already dimmed the lights as part of my sleep ritual. Then the trip happened, I learned about all this, and I’ve decided to give myself a health boost by going for a walk every morning.
The way I see it, it works on many levels:
- I get the extra serotonin, and my body fully wakes up.
- It’s still soon to tell, but the studies say I should be sleeping a little better as well.
- I think if I can get myself out of bed and walking on a day, there’s not a lot more that I can’t do that day. It gives me a little extra confidence.
- I also get some fresh air, which I simply love. I remind myself to be mindful, and I aim to bring that energy to the rest of the day.
- I have an extra reason to listen to inspiring music!
I encourage you to find your own reasons for the walk. Maybe you’d like the prospect of a quick cold shower after, or you’d like to buy yourself a little something during the walk.
Final Word
If you decide to go for the walk, also try to predict why you might convince yourself out of it.
I personally know that if I made a chore out of it or set a step goal or a fixed route, I wouldn’t love it sometimes. I think it’ll be a 20-minute power walk on some days and just a trot around the block on others. Either way, it’ll be a bright morning and you’d hopefully be feeling a little bit happier!