Time to Sunbathe
Sunbathing is one of those thrills that can bring a ray of joy to your life. You might seek to have some fun, but your budget is tight. I got you!
Previously, I wrote about the benefits of watching the sunrise, dipping in cold water, and plenty of other tips coming soon.
I’m on my way to finding and trying all the free activities that are useful for the well-being of the body and mind, and I share those experiences with in here and on my blog.
Here comes the sun
I wanted to write about sunbathing because I feel like sunbathing is underrated. We take the warm days for granted. And yes, I’m aware that it can be harmful, but all you have to do is find balance. During spring and summer, it is enough to spend 10–20 minutes in the sun to obtain enough Vitamin D. But in the winter season, almost two hours would be needed to have the same doses of Vitamin D. So for the vast majority of the population, it is difficult to achieve the optimal values.
Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter
How does your mental health benefit from sunbathing, and why is it good for your brain?
Sun is vital to life. Sun brings joy, growth, and happiness. Sunbathing has a lot of benefits not just for plants but also for lovely humans like you. You will sleep better and feel happier after a good sunbath. Remember not to sleep during sunbathing because that usually ends up pretty icky, especially if your skin is light.
It can be a mess. I’ve been there and done that more than once — I know, shame on me.
You might ask, how is sunbathing can give me a good night’s sleep?
First of all, it also can be a nap, and second, science is always there with backup info.
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sunbathing regulates the level of serotonin and melatonin hormones. People will feel a rush of positive emotions during sunbathing — some people even like to tan. Also, let’s not forget that your body will thank you for all the vitamin D.
Please notice that even though your body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to the sun, some factors reduce the amount of vitamin D your skin makes.
These factors are:
- clouds
- smog
- old age
- having dark-coloured skin
If you feel the urge to run to take extra vitamin D pills, please read through this first. You can overdo vitamin D, so again, please find a balance. The recommended daily amount of vitamin D for adults and children is 600 international units (IU). Children under 12 months need 400 IU daily, according to Mayo Clinic.
Doo-doo-doo-doo
You might live in a sunny country or state. You might live on a cloud-heavy island where there is almost no sun from October to April — like I do. If you are unsure about what to do, comment below.
I’ll help you out as much as I can.
The Witty Witch Tip: When you sunbathe, try to relax. It’s a good idea to close your eyes and practice the sweet art of doing nothing.
Leave your body in the sun and let your mind explore the environment with your ears primarily. What do you hear? How do you feel? Where do you wonder? Can you hear the birds? Can you feel the breeze? Is your skin reacting to anything? Are you feeling connected with your surroundings?
Please notice the time you spend in the sun. Always use sunscreen to protect yourself from sunburn and skin cancer. The best if you avoid the sun during the peak of its power (from 10 to 14 o’clock). If you suspect that you might be addicted to tan, please seek professional help.
It’s alright
If you’re worried and wondering if you or someone you know may need help with a tanning addiction, look through these common tanning addiction signs:
- You will do anything to get tan.
- When you can’t tan, you get agitated.
- You visit several tanning bed facilities.
- You have been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- You feel like you cannot stop tanning.
Thank you for reading! If you like my work, please let me know with a clap, share, follow, message, whatever. :)
The Witty Witch