Brittany Kelley
When I was young and obsessed with “House Hunters,” I used to roll my eyes at all of the guests emphasizing how they just “had to have natural light.” I would turn to my mom and ask, “What is natural light anyway and why is it so important?” In my humble 10-year-old opinion, I’d much prefer to have lighting that was sure to be at one brightness all day long, whenever I wanted it, rather than something unpredictable and ever-changing.
I also once wrote a column about how I was a Winter — someone whose favorite season was winter. Obviously, this was because of the cozy nature of it, with the addition of my favorite holiday.
So, color me surprised when last year, something inside me changed — natural light became instrumental in my day-to-day life. It started, I think, after the annual bout of rain we usually get in the spring. I found myself struggling to do anything at work, zoning out and just feeling down, even after I was free from responsibilities. It was just too gloomy out.
I’ve never been someone to have seasonal depression (just the consistent, never-ending kind), so I chalked it up to being in a slump. But then, I noticed that when it was bright and sunny out, I felt more motivated to exist. It was exciting to get out of bed and go outside. I even made an excursion to the library on foot from our office.
After I made the connection, I did my best to find myself outside more, whether that was swimming at a lake, going on walks with my dogs or sitting outside during breaks at work.
Now, almost exactly a year later, I recognize how being outside, particularly in the sunlight, makes me calmer. It feels like such a treat to walk down the road to the library, pick up a new book and pop by the Kyle Daily Grind for a lavender latte. Or when I don’t have that much time, to walk around Mark Kyle Hartson City Square Park. Not only am I doing better for my body by moving more, but I’m also improving my mental health.
I’ve discussed in these columns before my decaying mental health and my long list of diagnoses; we all know I have my problems. So, when I discover something that can ease that pain, I try to do my best to lean into it. Even more when it doesn’t feel like a placebo effect, but it’s actually proven by science to help.
According to a 2023 study published by the National Library of Medicine, there was a “positive association between sunlight exposure and mental health,” which concludes that “appropriate enhancement of sunlight exposure will be beneficial to mental health.”
Most recently, I took my newfound love of the outdoors to a new level by taking the day off work — and convincing my friends to do so, too — to walk the Town Lake trail in Austin. To be honest, this was both an excursion in nature, as well as preparation for our upcoming San Francisco trip. We all work desk jobs, so physical activity isn’t exactly our forte.
The day was incredibly needed, to take a moment and get away from life with my girls. But it started out a bit amiss. It was cloudy and cold out and was probably going to rain.
Nevertheless, we started out by getting pastries at Sabor A Mí in Kyle. It was not communicated that the hot, new place we wanted to try did not have food, so a pit stop was demanded. Then, we made our way to Austin to try the aforementioned coffee shop — Noble Joe Coffee Co. Emma clocked me when she immediately assumed I was suggesting it, so that I could get the blackberry cobbler latte. It was truly a hassle to get the drink I had been craving for weeks.
We circled the area three times before Lisa, who cannot parallel park to save her life, realized it was her only option, which meant I’d have to do the work. We stopped traffic on Riverside Drive to switch positions. With me in the driver’s seat, I went to pull forward only to realize I had no idea how to work her gear shift. This led to a lot of yelling — even from Emma in the passenger seat, who thought we were going to get attacked by other drivers — and Lisa ultimately commanding the gear shift from the back at my every request, while I actually got into the parking spot.
Afterwards, we sprinted across the road for our reward. My latte was delicious; I even went with iced for the occasion (I’m usually a hot-drink only girl). As for my friends, one was a hit and one was a miss. You win some; you lose some, I guess.
On our walk, we started out like anyone in their 20s does — questioning if we’re doing anything right in life, talking about how we feel behind, how our jobs are stressing us out and how we need to be on our flight already.
But then, the sun came out. Almost immediately, we shed our sweaters just as quickly as our bad attitude.
We walked nearly eight miles and laughed the whole time: we risked our lives running across North Lamar — “So, when you say, ‘Get ready’ in San Francisco, you mean, ‘Be prepared to run across the road.’ Got it;” we stopped to visit cats at the shelter; and walked through a construction site by accident. We were a little dumb, a little naive and a little bit sore, but so happy.
It felt nice to forget everything and just be free with my friends. I attribute a lot of it to them (we’ve been through everything together), but I also think the sun played a part, too.
I’m trying to not be so oblivious to things these days. So, recognizing that the sun has been there for some of my favorite moments is something I’m going to be sure to take note of and do more of.
It took more than a decade, but I finally understand those house hunters and why sunlight could make or break a house.
So, next time you’re feeling down, maybe go outside in the sun. You might accidentally find yourself smiling.
Kelley is news editor of the Hays Free Press and News-Dispatch. She can reached via email at [email protected].
