It’s Summertime – Is the Living Easy?
Most people have heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and associate it with winter. The physical and psychological issues that arise when the weather is cold, dark and damp are well known. While people, especially in places like California, welcome the arrival of summer, there are those for whom it is not a season to be active and enjoy the outdoors. For them, as the song says, “There ain’t no cure for the summertime blues.” SAD is a year-round problem and we are now realizing that it is not confined to the cold season.
The Two Faces Of SAD
Winter and summer SAD are different. According to a professor at the UCI School of Medicine “In the winter, people with seasonal affective disorder have lower energy, they slow down and oversleep, they feel tired and listless during the daytime, they eat too much and gain weight. But in the summertime, it’s pretty much the reverse. People get restless, agitated, have trouble sleeping and eating, they lose weight. Sometimes it gets so bad it can even lead to anxiety and anger.”
Warding Off SAD
Search for Seasonal Affective Disorder online and you will find copious amounts of information on what it is and how to deal with it. The common thread that runs through all this information is:
- Get enough sleep.
- Exercise regularly and adequately.
- Avoid excess alcohol consumption.
- Talk to your doctor about medications or supplements that are right for the season.
- If nothing else helps, talk to a mental health professional.
One key aspect that is often overlooked is the need for fresh air. It is both refreshing and invigorating, but because breathing is such an automatic action, the quality of the air we breathe is taken for granted. Inhaling stale air that is filled with pollutants and toxins is not just bad for the physical health, it can cause negative emotions that could become psychological problems. It is surprising how much fresh air can improve your physical and mental well-being.
The Problem with Air Conditioning
When temperatures rise, so does the use of air conditioners. The impact this has on electricity bills is well known. What is often ignored is the fact that air conditioning constantly recirculates the same air. Yes, the temperature is controlled and there are filters to remove some of the dust from the air. But some of the toxins and pollutants keep going round and round and the volumes keep building up. Breathing this is not healthy. It’s important to take one small additional step to make the house healthier.
Fresh Air in the House
It is not possible to spend all your time out in the open, breathing in fresh air. A lot of time has to be spent indoors, in the house, for reasons that vary from housework to homework and working from home, among others. The air in the house may not be as fresh and clean as it should be. Opening windows is not enough. Various issues like the layout of the house to external factors that restrict the flow of air into the home prevent the required amount of air circulation and the replacement of stale air with fresh air drawn in from the outdoors. The best way to overcome this problem is by ensuring positive air circulation in the house. This can be done by the use of fans. Table fans and ceiling fans will not do the job. They are designed to recirculate air because the movement of air makes it feel cooler against the skin. To improve air quality indoors and fight the effect of SAD, your home needs fans specially designed for this purpose. That means attic and whole house fans. These fans are designed to push out the old stale air from the indoors and replace it with fresh air drawn in through open windows.
An additional benefit is that the use of ventilation fans to draw fresh cool air into the house brings the indoor temperature down. That reduces the air conditioning load and the amount of electricity consumed, which will be evident in the lower utility bills.
The effect that fresh air can have on the well-being of the occupants of the home and the positive energy it creates is an accepted scientific fact. Installing one or both of these fans in your home is simple. Solatube is the acknowledged leader in the products and the company’s unequaled quality control and constant innovation ensure that not only is the operation of these fans trouble-free, but the air circulation will keep the house fresh and odor-free, summer (and since SAD is also a cold weather problem) and winter. Those living in and around Santa Clara CA need only contact Sunlight Concepts, the Premier Solatube Dealer. Asking for a free consultation will give you all the information you need to make the informed decision that will make the home healthier and happier and, by doing so, help to make SAD a thing of the past.