Did you know February is considered the worst month of the year?  It’s depressing because it’s gloomy, gray, and we’re sick of snow and cold.  And yet, it does offer occasional surprises of sudden sunshine and warmer temperatures  as harbingers of Spring. Especially here in the Midwest, we’ve enjoyed some beautiful days when the sun is bright, the sky is blue, and the weather is in the sixties.  When one of those days happens, Stop! Snatch some winter sunlight.

If you’re working from home, shut down your computer and step outside.  Is there a yard or patio nearby? Pull up a chair and lift your face to the sun.   If your job is indoors, either take the day off or arrange for a very long lunch hour.  Stop everything.  Don’t clean your house or go grocery shopping. You need some of that unfiltered sunlight to lift your spirits and provide some vitamin D.  Tomorrow it might rain or the temperature might drop.  Plenty of time to catch up on the work you didn’t do yesterday.  Enjoy the amazing grace of a sunlit day in February.

Sunlight has gotten a bad rap for a long time.  Because everyone knows that too much of it can cause skin cancer.  But lately, scientists have been telling us that we should get about 15 to 20 minutes of unfiltered sunlight every single day. That’s the best way to insure you get enough vitamin D, which has many important functions in our body.  Vitamin D enhances the immune system, helps with depression, and is good for your heart and bones.   Many folks who live up North don’t get enough of it in the winter.

There are many benefits of sunlight:  It lifts your mood, increases energy and improves symptoms of mental health. It’s also healing.  Ultra violet rays destroy bacteria and viruses.  And besides boosting your immune system, Vitamin D is needed for stronger bones.

Listen to your weather forecasts, and if  a beautiful day is coming up, make plans to take full advantage of it.  Before you know it, you’ll be picking daffodils and tulips!