Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of My Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Speaker 1: Today's tip is to find your sunshine. When we see
Speaker 1: the sun, even on cold and wintry days, we tend
Speaker 1: to feel sunnier two. This episode is first airing on
Speaker 1: what is in the Northern Hemisphere, the shortest day of
Speaker 1: the year. With the sun rising late and setting early,
Speaker 1: it can be easy to go days without seeing the sun,
Speaker 1: and that is too bad because sunshine has plenty of benefits.
Speaker 1: Getting outside, especially in the morning, can help set your
Speaker 1: body's internal clock so you are able to sleep better
Speaker 1: at night. Sunlight can increase serotonin levels, which contribute to
Speaker 1: boosted energy and mood. Add in some pretty scenery and
Speaker 1: maybe some physical activity, and you've got a recipe for
Speaker 1: feeling better. So it is worth making the effort to
Speaker 1: get a little time outdoors during daylight hours. Make sure
Speaker 1: you don't go a whole work week without seeing the sun.
Speaker 1: Here are some ideas for finding your sunshine. Whether you
Speaker 1: brown bag or buy your lunch, try to eat outside
Speaker 1: whenever possible, Look at your weather out for the week,
Speaker 1: and choose a slightly less frosty day or two to
Speaker 1: give it a whirl. These days, many restaurants have outdoor
Speaker 1: heated options, so you might not even need to shiver
Speaker 1: while you're getting some daylight time. Invite a colleague to
Speaker 1: meet you for lunch at a cozy place, and you
Speaker 1: will find your sunshine right there. You can get outside
Speaker 1: for short and small meetings too. If you are meeting
Speaker 1: with just one or two colleagues, suggest bundling up and
Speaker 1: going for a walk together. You can always pull out
Speaker 1: your phone and take a quick note if you need to.
Speaker 1: You can do the same if you have a phone
Speaker 1: call where you don't need to talk much. Instead of
Speaker 1: fidgeting at your desk, go walk outside and just mute
Speaker 1: yourself to avoid any wind or traffic noises. You can
Speaker 1: even get in the habit of slipping outside regularly between meetings.
Speaker 1: Pretend you are a smoker who needs a smoke break
Speaker 1: and just don't smoke. Go stand outside and look at
Speaker 1: the light for a few minutes and go back in
Speaker 1: refreshed and relaxed. In a pinch, you might try shifting
Speaker 1: your hours too, if there is absolutely no way you
Speaker 1: can get out of work by four thirty, which is
Speaker 1: when it starts getting dark in my neck of the woods.
Speaker 1: Maybe you can consciously shift your work hours slightly later.
Speaker 1: The sun is rising around seven am or so, so
Speaker 1: working from six thirty means a few hours of light
Speaker 1: might be available in the morning before work if you
Speaker 1: choose to seize them. Bundle up and walk your kids
Speaker 1: to school. Get your coffee and sit outside to drink it,
Speaker 1: letting the warm cup warm up your hands. Then go
Speaker 1: to work having gotten your outside time. Yes, you missed
Speaker 1: the sunset, but you were going to miss the sunset anyway.
Speaker 1: With a later work schedule, you are finding your sunshine
Speaker 1: in the morning and that can work too. So today,
Speaker 1: think about when you might see the sun. If you've
Speaker 1: got a few minutes now and it's light out, go
Speaker 1: see the sun now. If now doesn't work, look at
Speaker 1: your schedule and choose another moment. I'm betting you can
Speaker 1: most likely find the time to find your sunshine, and
Speaker 1: I'm betting you will find it's worth it, So why
Speaker 1: not give it a try In the meantime. This is Laura.
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.
Speaker 1: You can send me your tips your questions or anything else.
Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at
Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod. That's b E the number four, then
Speaker 1: Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an
Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com
Speaker 1: that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For
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