Jane is a real HappyLight® user who works in Manhattan. Her office job left her with little time to be outdoors in the sun, so she tried a HappyLight® after a friend recommended it to her. Read her story below.
"You know that amazing feeling when you tilt your face up to the sun on a beautiful summer's day? I hadn’t felt that way in months. I commute to Manhattan from Connecticut for my job. So from the end of daylight saving time until the spring thaw, I'm leaving for work and returning home in the dark.
I could tell my mood was affected by the lack of daylight, but I also could not shake grogginess in the middle of the day - regardless of the amount of sleep I had the night before.
My friend who is a naturopathic doctor suggested I consider a light box as a substitute for the sun. I did plenty of research and learned a few things: For one, light therapy helps reduce that winter blues feeling and helps with sleep. And it is also safe because the bulbs are designed to filter out UV light.
So my HappyLight® sits beside me at work and gives off bright light that mimics sunlight. I use it in the mornings because I learned from my friend that our bodies sync with the sun. And just like the sun in the morning, the HappyLight® wakes me up and helps me stay energized.
My co-workers thought it was kind of weird at first; me sitting in front of this seriously bright light for 30 minutes every morning was the coffee klatch curiosity. But using it daily at my desk has made me feel better. Like an exercise routine, I started to notice its effects after just a couple weeks of use.
There is no substitute for sunlight or being outdoors, but my HappyLight® lifts my spirits when I can't be out in the sun (or it's just not around). Now, several of my co-workers have one, too!"