The best medicine is preventive, as they say, and although the old adage was probably intended for measles, mumps, or scurvy, it still rings true for other ailments that could very well roadblock your otherwise busy routine of, say, hitting up SoulCycle and (online) vintage shopping before meal-prepping for the week.
Since you probably don’t have time to treat a potentially preventable issue, give “happy lights” a try before seasonal affective disorder (SAD) gets you down. As the days begin to get shorter, the weather colder, and your home hygge-r, you might feel yourself slipping into the season-specific funk characterized by anxiety, fatigue, and decreased energy.
Light therapy is the light-bulb-induced way of staving off some of the more unpleasant side effects of the colder months. Whether you’re trying to get a leg up on your seasonal depression or just need some literal light at the end of the metaphorical tunnel to keep you going once the sun starts setting at 4:30 p.m., a happy light will bring some natural-feeling mood-boosting light into your fluorescent office or dimly lit bedroom.
See if one of these 8 light-changing lamps might also be life-changing.
Shop the lights
Nature Bright SunTouch Plus Ion/Light SADTherapy $70
Verilux HappyLight 5000 Lux Energy Lamp $78
Philips Light Therapy Wake-up Light $48
Philips Hue White Ambiance Wellner Lamp $100
Philips Hue Go Portable Smart Light Table Lamp $80
Carex Bright Light Therapy Lamp $100
Sunlight Jr. Therapeutic Light Box $200
Verilux HappyLight Touch $45
For more mood-boosting superpowers, deck out your space in one of these colors, or add some of these plants.
Sign Up for Our Daily Newsletter
Get all the latest in wellness, trends, food, fitness, beauty, and more delivered right to your inbox.
Got it, you've been added to our email list.
