The sun has been shining now for a few days. Pretty amazing. I almost forgot what the sun looked and felt like. I go south for the winter because I really don’t enjoy cold dreary weather. Growing up in the Northeast, I remember the long, cold, dreary winters. We didn’t really get much snow. It was mostly just cold and wet for the entire winter. Dry cold is different than wet cold. I’ve been in dry cold. It is easier to stay warm in dry cold. But wet cold chills to the bone, and then it takes a really long time to get warm again. I remember that I used to get pretty sick of being cold all the time.
After 6 weeks of cold rainy weather, my nice tan complexion is fading and my attitude has begun to go with it. Thank goodness the sun is out again. Being out in the fresh air and sunshine is crucial to my happiness and good health.
Several years ago I went to Northern Norway – to the Land of the Midnight Sun- way north of the Arctic Circle. In the summer time the sun never sets. That’s why it’s called Midnight Sun. The opposite happens in the winter- the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon. The brightest it gets is like dusk and then the sun dips down below the horizon again. Continual darkness affects the people very negatively. The depression rate goes up, the suicide rate goes up, the rate of drunkenness goes up. I understand that really well after the past 6 weeks of rain. Even though it wasn’t total darkness, the gloominess was really beginning to get to me.
Here’s some food for thought: does the rise in childhood depression have anything to do with the rise in indoor activity? Kids spend way more time watching TV, playing video and computer games, and hanging out on the internet than they used to even a half-generation ago. We can look at the correlation between obesity and these things. How about depression? Does the fact that kids don’t go outside and play as much anymore have something to do with this? I wonder how many kids could be taken off meds if they were going outside to play in the fresh air and sunshine every day inside of sitting in front of a screen soaking up artificial lighting? Now I know there are many more factors that weigh in here, but it’s just something I considered in light of all the rain and gloominess.
We hear a lot about the negative effects of sunlight, like skin cancer, and how to protect ourselves from the sun. But how much do we really know about the positive, and possibly vital, effects sunlight has on our health and well-being? Studies are starting to be done that look at this. NDD (Nature Deficit Disorder and SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) are being given a lot of weight lately. No Child Left Inside legislation provides funding for outdoor education programs so kids can learn about Nature out in Nature. In my opinion if we got back to our roots and got outside more, many of the problems kids have today like ADD and ADHD, childhood diabetes, obesity, depression, and the like would probably disappear.
When I was a kid, my Mom couldn't keep me inside- even when the weather was nasty. My brother and I were always out hiking, playing in the streams or the woods, riding our bikes, playing sports, or any number of things. I could be happy all day collecting rocks or exploring the woods. As an instructor in "outdoor stuff" I have seen kids' entire perspective on the world change when they experience some new outdoor activity like rockhounding or paddling, and they are used to only doing indoor things. Let's get the kids out there hiking, climbing, rockhounding, and camping. Get a gold pan in their hands and take them down to a stream and let them "play in the mud". Take them hunting and fishing.
I wonder how many of the problems with the kids today would be solved if they spent more time outdoors? Just food for thought. As for me, I'm getting away from my computer and going outside to play.
-Jedidiah Free
No comments:
Post a Comment