SAD and DIY LEDs: Battling the blues with green and blue

by Kim, October 19, 2009 at 6:00am

Here in Maryland the rain has melted one day into the next, each equally gray and damp. At such times it's easy to sense the importance of one's environmental palette. A recent Dutch study found that the closer you live to green space, the better your overall health. People who live within 1 kilometer of a park or wooded area experience less anxiety and depression. The study is part of a growing body of research about the effects of nature (or the lack thereof) on human health.

The so-called Vitamin G effect has been found to create a sense of well-being and social safety within urban spaces well-dappled with green. Add to that dose of green a modicum of sun, and you might be able to stave off the winter doldrums, which in the extreme can become Seasonal Affective Disorder.

A true case of the SADs is best addressed with a doctor, since it's hard to sift through all the conflicting claims about treatment. Here's one article from the National Institute of Mental Health about light therapy and body rhythms in SAD. If you are on the market for a full-spectrum light, choose the compact fluorescent variety, or go for LEDs (light-emitting diodes) like those in this DIY blue LED light box. Alternatively, you can seek out a bit of green in your life by visiting a local indoor botanic garden or cultivating your own green space in the form of houseplants. The fact that green space and sun have been proven to affect human health gives scientific credence to what we should already know: that we are creatures of the earth. So find a sunbeam or a green space where you can, and soak up what you need to get through the fall and winter months.