Sometimes our days don't feel long enough, or we grasp onto late evening hours as an opportunity for "me time."
Unfortunately, choosing to prolong your day can have negative health consequences, especially over time. Quantum biology star Sarah Kleiner outlines these reasons very clearly in this article:
https://www.sarahkleinerwellness.com/blog/9pmvsmidnight
Fortunately, I'm guiding a FREE 7 day sunrise challenge starting on March 7th! Seeing the sunrise synchronizes our circadian rhythm, which creates coherence in our biology. Coherence describes when our myriad of inner systems function in communication with each other, as nature intended. Every cell in our body wants to know when the day starts - all our cells have circadian receptors and await signalling from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the midbrain. Without receiving the photons (light waves) that are active at sunrise, our internal systems can suffer in dissonance, inflammation and chaos. This is why circadian disruption has negative implications for almost all health outcomes. Seeing the sunrise is the first part of syncing your circadian rhythm.
THE CHALLENGE - from March 7-14
- Don't turn on any artificial lights before sunrise inside, unless they're circadian-friendly. Also, don't look at your phone...
- Go outside at sunrise and look to the brightest part of the sky (please don't stare directly at the sun, look 30 degrees off if you have a direct view)
- 2-5 minutes of exposure is all you need for your body to receive a sunrise signal - check out the free version of MyCircadian App for exact sunrise times
- At the end of your time outside, snap a photo and share it on the WhatsApp group!
This simple practice can regulate your hormones, improve your mood, synchronize your internal organ systems and improve overall well-being. Orienting to nature when you wake can also bring you into resonance with beauty and magic all around us. Having group accountability makes it easier to create new healthy habits that stick! If you want to improve your sleep, feel more rested, increase mood steadiness and feel more inspired in general, please join this challenge.