L for Light & Lamps

Back from a brief hiatus to move down the east coast with the family — I will definitely share the ins and outs of a 2-day move with a 5-year old and 5-month old twins in a later post…

Let’s keep this train rolling!! I wanted to use ‘L’ to discuss some lighting and lamp options that are said to reduce anxiety and improve mood. The most obvious of these are salt lamps, typically of the pink Himalayan variety. While I haven’t seen much strong scientific evidence to support the anxiolytic properties of the salt, some of the suggested theories are pretty interesting! One explains that these rocks release negative ions into the air, which promote good feelings. Check out some other possible benefits of salt lamps in this Women’s Health Magazine article.

Colored lighting or mood lighting has long been used to bring on a more relaxed state. Check out this Bliss Lights blog post about 8 lights that can calm you. Would you consider one of these investments if it meant a calmer you? My take is that it certainly can’t hurt!

What about the use of lighting for more well-defined conditions? Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is depression experienced during darker periods of the year, primarily fall and winter. Light therapy has shown to be a fairly effective way to help with SAD symptoms. It sounds simple, sitting next to a light box, but it also has advantages over alternatives that may come with side effects or may be unsafe. Check out a medical summary by the Mayo Clinic here.

There’s an interesting flipside to this—while bright artificial lighting can be beneficial for a number of mood disorders, fluorescent lighting can actually trigger anxiety in some people and become an irritant to others that are already dealing with anxiety. As can that amazing blue light emitted from our cell phones.

I’d love to hear about personal experiences, positive or negative, with any specific type of lighting or lamps and their relationship to anxiety and/or panic disorder. From doing some research into the topic, I certainly feel enLIGHTened…

Not sorry 😊