The Mood Is Not Good, It's Good To Try Sunbathing Instead Of Hiding In The Room

Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash

JAKARTA - Maybe we often avoid the sun. Even though it has many uses. One of them has a strong impact on mental health, especially with regard to mood.

This was conveyed by a mental health expert from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Dr.dr. Ronny Tri Wirasto, Sp.Kj. He said, sun exposure has a strong impact on mental health.

"If it is said that sunlight affects mood, it is true because it affects the release of serotonin in the body, which keeps us in a good mood and stays fresh," he said in Yogyakarta, Thursday, February 17, quoted from Antara.

Sunlight exposure, said Ronny, will stimulate the brain to produce serotonin in the body which helps regulate feelings of the heart such as happiness, sadness, comfort, anxiety, and pain.

According to him, sufficient exposure will increase the production of serotonin substances so as to maintain a good mood and feel fresh during the day.

Conversely, if the content of these substances in the body is low, it can affect the mood to be uncomfortable.

"If the mood is down, I usually like things that are dim and stay in the room. This is indeed the body's mechanism when the mood is not good, but it must be forced to be exposed to the sun so that the mood can be good again," he said.

Rony further said that at night the release of serotonin will decrease because the brain is no longer stimulated to produce serotonin. After that, the body will begin to release the substance melatonin which triggers sleepiness and fatigue.

"Sufficient exposure to the sun will trigger an increase in melatonin at night which induces drowsiness and fatigue so that you can sleep more soundly at night," said the Head of the Psychiatric Medicine Specialist Education Study Program, FKKMK UGM.

However, Rony said that not a few people living in tropical areas, including Indonesia, with an abundance of sun exposure, actually do not get enough sunlight.

This usually happens to office workers and children who go through a full day of school. Both are a risk group because they are more often indoors throughout the day with minimal access to sunlight and only artificial lighting.

To overcome this, Rony conveyed the need to regulate sun exposure, one of which was by sunbathing in the morning.

"Relive the tradition of 'dede' or sunbathing because it not only activates vitamin D, but also keeps the mood scientifically proven," he said.

In addition, according to him, it can also be done by arranging the workplace so that every room in the office, school, or home has access to sunlight.