Hmm, could Dr. Mercola’s advice this morning help chase away the winter blues?

“Thinking outside the box is more than just a business cliché. It means approaching problems in new, innovative ways and conceptualizing problems differently. One way to beef up your out-of-the-box thinking skills: Study another industry. Go to the library and pick up a trade magazine in an industry other than your own, or grab a few books from the library, and learn about how things are done in other industries.”

As I thought about my conversation this weekend with an ingenious architectural designer, I pondered on how to transfer his industry’s information to invigorate the dark, cold January and February winter days.

First a few key points from architectural designer Charlie Gabhart, then questions on how you might transfer some of his information to help remedy the winter blues…

People build houses that are aggravating. They bump around in them. They don’t have the environment they need. They start blaming the spouse and each other for not being happy. The house is causing their unhappiness.

• You can write this down: When a house is finished, if the owners talk about what a nightmare it was, the nightmare is the result, not the building of the house. If they get a good result, then the nightmare of the building evaporates.
• The ego causes unhappiness. People fantasize on a dream home: ego. They want to look and feel successful: ego. They want the house to do so much for their self esteem: ego. When they get it built, they have a monster. It doesn’t feed the human spirit. They don’t get the emotional result they were hoping for.  Why is that? Because what they think they want that will make them feel good only feeds the ego. They think social entry with a big house is going to do all these things for them. It is a letdown. It doesn’t manifest the result they expect. 
• How to overcome? Build the right structure, something that addresses the human spirit, the real emotional need. The ego/bolstered self esteem are not needs. Design should address the place to do whatever they do, whatever their lifestyle is. Is the core of their lifestyle to eat? Sleep? Entertain? Hobbies? Design to support their way of living, not how their friends and neighbors will perceive them. If it is ego-designed, not one square foot will they enjoy. They are building for what other people will think – “curb appeal,” “show home,” “dream home.”  
• Key recommendation: let the sun in. Position the house for entry of the sun. In a place of business, have sunlight/natural lighting in the ceiling. People come in and don’t know why. The color yellow on the inside and on the outside attracts people. It is the color of the sun, a cheerful color.
• Make the perceived space larger. Open the stair railing so you can see above and below. Let light flood through the space.
• Houses don’t lead to divorce when the inhabitants are emotionally happy in them. The wife gets what she wants. The husband gets what he wants. They are out of each other’s hair. If they want to do different things, each needs space – according to their individual needs. A couple can build a huge home, and there not be space for either one of them.
• The house should support them emotionally. Decide on the emotion, then build to the emotion. What is the desired emotion? Happy? Carefree? Stimulating? Stability and security? To impress friends? If you desire freedom, build a park; if oppression and control, build a school; if somber, build a funeral home; if cruel, build a jail. How do you want to feel in this place? Design to that. “Design to the emotion.”  How do you want to feel?

 How can you transfer the above design industry wisdom to help breathe life into cold, winter days?

• In what space do you spend your waking hours? What combination of rooms do you spend the majority of your time? Is it your office, your family room, your cubicle? Renovation will take some work. What end result do you want to keep in mind so your effort melts away into pleasure?
• How can you change your office, your family room, your cubicle to feed your human spirit?
• What is important to you to include in your space? What is at the core of your lifestyle? What kind of emotion is most appealing to you? What feels right to you?
• How much sunlight are you getting every day? Are your windows covered or open? Can you bring more sunlight into your space? If direct sunlight is not possible, can you bring in full spectrum lighting? What colors are on your walls?
• Is your space open, light, and spacious or closed, dark, and cluttered?
• Do you have a space that you can go, just for you? Does your spouse or significant other have a personal space?
• What does your space feel like? What emotion comes to mind? If you are not happy with your assessment, what can you do design to your emotion?

 Hmm, perhaps when you redesign your favorite spaces, you might find it feels good all year long?

In reviewing the literature during the editing process of my manuscript, I have become totally overwhelmed with the epidemic of hormone imbalance that is upon us. My mind has remained stuck on the idea of: 1) identifying the root cause and then 2) figuring out some simple tools to help alleviate the root cause naturally and inexpensively.  What things can we do that will make a huge, positive impact on our health?

Let’s take insomnia, for example.

Insomnia is an extremely common complaint. Imagine the toll on the body, not to mention the quality of life, when we are not able to sleep night after night, month after month, year after year. 

The internet and health food stores are full of all sorts of supplementation remedies. However, the question I ask is, “What is the root cause resulting in the need for supplementation?

The hypothalamus in the brain regulates our circadian rhythm by instructing the pineal gland to produce melatonin during the night and serotonin in the daylight or sunlight. On average, this works out to be about eight hours of melatonin and sixteen hours of serotonin.

Sunlight stimulates the pineal gland to produce serotonin. Serotonin is a natural, opiate-like chemical that is thought to promote relaxation and sleep, calm anxiety, and relieve depression. Serotonin production is also stimulated by such things as exercise, taking time to include doing the little things that bring you joy, and following a good diet.

Lack of sunlight in the winter months, when we experience shorter days and more darkness, is thought to contribute to seasonal depression. However, serotonin production is inhibited year round when we are not exposed to natural sunlight, unfiltered by car and window glass.

When spending time outdoors in the direct sunlight is not possible, the next best thing is utilizing “full spectrum” lighting, found to regulate melatonin and serotonin, and the closest thing we have to direct sunlight.

According to David Olszewski, co-author of Light Years Ahead:

“On this planet we have to have the full spectrum of sunlight to live. This is how we evolved as a species. Sunlight is not just a bright light; it is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, best described as a rainbow. These 1,200 frequencies of light all act on some part of your body. They power the cells, regulate your biological clock and produce hormones in your body; they affect your metabolism; they give you the equivalent of vitamin C and vitamin D. When you’re not getting enough light, all these functions start diminishing, and cause depression of your immune system. We need these frequencies on an ongoing basis.”

 “A full spectrum light has a profile with 1,200 frequencies, and it is similar to sunlight, but it can only be produced in a fluorescent tube with a lot of expensive phosphors.” Olszewski cautions, “Certain incandescent light bulbs…are sold as full spectrum, but they are not fluorescent and they are not full spectrum. They are merely coated to absorb the yellow.” He further explains, “You can bend small fluorescent tubes and put them into sockets that will go right into your regular lighting, and the beauty of full spectrum (besides health benefits) is that they are so cool and low-cost running that they use one-fifth of the electricity of a regular bulb.”

At the other end of the insomnia equation is melatonin. The pineal gland produces melatonin to induce sleep in the presence of two factors: 1) the right time, beginning somewhere around 9:00 pm, and 2) the presence of darkness. In the days prior to electricity, people went to bed when it got dark and arose when it became light. Today, how many people are in bed at 9:00 pm at night?

Even though it is night, indoor lighting can be bright enough to inhibit the production of melatonin. Night lights, lights from digital clocks, and street lights penetrating through curtains all inhibit melatonin production. Light receptors behind the knees and in the eyes (even though the eyes are closed) signal the body to inhibit production.

To support normal body function, some cost effective, natural solutions include:

1)      Go to bed around 9:00 pm.

2)      Eliminate all sources of light so that your bedroom is totally dark. Test the darkness by checking to see if you can see your hand when you place it in front of you.

3)       Spend a minimum of 10 -15 minutes a day in sunlight.

4)    When sunlight exposure is not possible, consider utilizing full spectrum lighting in your work or living space.