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Get Lit!

© Julie J. Murelle

Before you start to slug a few down, I will tell you that I do not mean that kind of getting lit. Please read on.

As I drive around town during this holiday season, trying to get it all done, I notice that I feel a little happier. Every time my car passes house all a glow with lights and more lights, my children ooooh and aaah at the sight. My 18 month old son says, "Lights, pretty." And my daughter can hardly contain her self, as she tells me which side of the road the most beautiful light display is on.

The nighttime just looks better with these festive decorations. And after Christmas, not only is there the Christmas being over let down, but suddenly the nighttime skies go back to being twinkle-less.

When we put up our tree the other night, I noticed once again the affect that these lights seemed to have on my spirits. It is simple, those twinkley lights equal joy to me.

Then I began to think. Is it just in the Christmas season that lights affect my spirits, or is it more than that? In my thinking I realized that if a room isn't lit properly, it does affect my happiness. Not only that, if it is gray outside, I tend to feel worse. I handle stress better on sunny days.

So many outside factors affect your mood. Noise and smell and yes, the brightness of the room.

Consider this: If you can set a romantic mood with different types of lighting, does it not stand to reason that you can set your lights to improve your spirits?

There are tons of songs written that discuss and expound the virtues of light. (You Are the Light of the World, (Godspell) You Light Up My Life (Debbie Boone) and The Night When the Lights Went Out in Georgia (Vicki Lawrence), just to name a few.)

To find out what lighting makes you feel the best, test different wattages of bulbs in your lights and shift the position of your lamps. I have tried moving the lamps to different heights in the room and in different positions as well. Once you find what you feel is the right set up, then let it go for a couple of days and see how you feel.

I personally have 100-watt bulbs in all of my lamps. I like it bright and it is comforting to me.

The copyright of the article Get Lit! in Relieving Stress is owned by T. Darlene Cheek. Permission to republish Get Lit! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.