Overcoming mood disorders linked to the winter season by making the most of increasing sunlight. Let us remember: human beings live in colour at every stage of their existence.

How to improve your mood in winter

Let's stop consoling ourselves by eating badly and erratically. Let's replace the warmth of chocolate and bags of crisps with the warmth of sunlight, which, as well as helping us shed a few extra kilos, gives us greater enthusiasm and motivation even in the small, repetitive things of everyday life. The sun does not only emit visible white light, but also infrared, ultraviolet and gamma rays, all invisible to our eyes. Within white light there are various monochromatic radiations, each corresponding to a specific frequency that the human eye perceives as colours. Simply placing a crystal prism near a window is enough to benefit from all seven colours of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, indigo and violet, which correspond to our energy centres, the so-called chakras.

Some useful tips for making the most of sunlight even in winter

• Fill the home with energy through natural light and make the most of the benefits of solar colours.
• Revive the old spring tradition of repainting all the walls of the house, doing away with white and making room for shades from the yellow range in the living areas and lilac in the sleeping areas.
• Up with the shutters and windows open for as long as possible.
• Try to always keep the windows clean and free of curtains, to let in the full vital power and good-mood energy of sunlight.
• Decorate the home with fresh, brightly coloured flowers, such as sunflowers and red and yellow tulips.
• Move the dining table closer to the window so you can eat lunch in the sunlight.
• Avoid fluorescent lighting and lights with cold colours both at home and in the office.
• Choose a balanced but colour-rich diet, like a spring one.
• Use colour in the way you dress, too.

From the grey of winter, let's plunge into a colourful spring full of therapeutic light.

Gabriele Bettoschi