Second Cup: See the light

Plan ahead in winter to enjoy daylight hours

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is to see the light. Making sure to see
some natural light can be tricky in winter, but it

(00:25):
goes a long way toward making winter feel more doable.
So my Southern Hemisphere listeners are enjoying lengthening days right now,
so you all can just listen to this episode in
six months. But those of us in the Northern Hemisphere,
we are headed straight for the winter solstice. The days

(00:47):
are getting shorter, and with the clocks falling back, many
people will commute home from work or school in the dark.
You might see daylight in the morning for a bit,
but since mornings are often rushed, this might not be
much time, and some days you might not even get that.

(01:09):
The sun rises at seven twenty a m. Around the
solstice by me and sets around four thirty p m.
Anyone working a seven thirty to four thirty sort of
day would not be able to count on time outside
of work, and even folks who worked from say nine
to five would not have much time outside of it.

(01:34):
Winters can be dreary enough as it is. Natural light
is a known mood booster. Getting some time outdoors in
the light each day can make winter feel far more doable.
But that requires a conscious effort when there is little

(01:55):
light to be had, so you have to plan to
take breaks, and you have to plan to take them outside.
This is one of the reasons behind one of my
favorite time management rules, move by three PM. I chose
this as rule number three in my book Tranquility by Tuesday,

(02:16):
because getting some physical activity each day can boost energy
levels significantly. Getting that exercise outside in the natural light,
it's like hitting a reset button. Even if you are
tired or the weather isn't great, A quick walk while
there's still light can power you through the rest of

(02:37):
the day. But a walk break isn't the only way
to see the light. If you'd drive to work, pause
in the parking lot for a few minutes before you
go in to notice the winter sky. Same if you
go out to lunch with colleagues, take a minute in
the restaurant parking lot or before you walk back to

(03:00):
work to see the world around you. You might also
figure out a way to expand your outdoor time in
the morning if your schedule allows it. You could wake
up on time to take a little walk or go
for a run before work. Except during the darkest days
of winter, in many places, you could exercise from seven

(03:22):
fifteen to seven forty five, then get yourself going and
at least experience a half hour of light. We talked
in a previous episode about looking out the window for
a minute before clearing your inbox. It's not quite the
same as going outside, but it's better than not looking
out the window. Make sure you take several minutes to

(03:44):
look outside while the thin winter sun is doing its
best to light things up. And if that fails, I
am in favor of taking some strategic time off. If
you've got paid time off, a half day every other week,
maybe on a Wednesday, where you make sure to enjoy

(04:05):
whatever sunlight there is can help you make it through
to the weekend. But as with any resource, when you
recognize that it is scarce at least for a period
of time, and that it is precious, you can see
that it helps to be mindful of it and optimize
your schedule around it. During the winter, it's a lot

(04:29):
harder to see the light than it is in the summer.
When you get the bounty of light after work, even
if you work quite late, but it is usually still
possible and definitely worth it. After the solstice, the days
will start getting longer and you can celebrate each extra minute.
But until then, seizing what you can of the lingering

(04:53):
light can make it feel more abundant than it is.
In the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and
here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

(05:15):
your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.
That's b E the number four then Breakfast Pod. You
can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts
at iHeartMedia dot com. That before Breakfast is spelled out

(05:36):
with all the letters. Thanks so much. Should I look
forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production
of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

(06:00):
A head Day Girl, MHM